Crossroads star Roger Tonge is fighting a real-life battle to stay in television.  Roger - who plays motel owner Meg Richardson's crippled son, Sandy, in the hit series - suffers from Hodgkin's Disease.

 

This is a malignant disease for which Roger has been treated at London's Royal Marsden Hospital, a leading cancer research unit.

 

He has not been seen in the show for two weeks.  But last night ATV, who produce Crossroads, denied rumours that he is being written out of the script.

 

Roger, a 32 year old bachelor, receives regular radiotherapy to stop the spread of his three year old illness.  His recent treatment in London - plus his absence from the show - started rumours that his condition had deteriorated.  But an ATV spokesman said "Roger is not being written out of the series."

 

He appears in Crossroads in a wheelchair, not because of his illness but from 'injuries' received in a fictional car crash.  He has played Sandy since the programme started 14 years ago.

 

At present Sandy has been jilted by his bride-to-be Lynne Baxter - played by Stacey Gregg - only weeks before they were due to marry.

 

The Crossroads script has him in hospital having a regular check-up on his car crash injuries.  The ATV spokesman said "There is no sinister reason why Roger has not been on the show for the past two weeks.  This is how the script was written, and he was due for a rest anyway.  He is due back at work on Monday."