Opera singer Russell Watson’s voice may be affected by the brain surgery he underwent last week, as doctors operated via his mouth.

The Salford-born tenor underwent three hours of emergency surgery last Thursday after he fell ill while working on his new album at a recording studio. An MRI scan revealed a bleeding brain tumour.

It was the second time Watson, 40, has undergone brain surgery. Last year the singer was operated on after doctors found a brain tumour the size of two golf balls.

The first tumour was reached via Watson’s nose, but scar tissue prevented surgeons working in the same way last week.

The singer’s manager Richard Thompson said: "There was some concern because when he came out of theatre he was having trouble speaking, but he's speaking normally now.

"It is a worry, but we don't know how much of a worry. When he had the operation a year ago we didn't want to go through the mouth for obvious reasons, but there was no option this time.

"He's got stitches in his mouth and they'll need to heal. But he will be singing again."

Thompson said support for the singer, who has now been moved from intensive care, had been "off the scale". Friends and family, including his two young daughters, have been visiting the singer at Alexandra Hospital, Cheadle, Cheshire.

Earlier this year Watson spoke to The Times of his fight to recover from his first operation in October 2006: “I remember one night standing on the balcony, full of dark thoughts and self-pity, thinking ‘God, this is f***ing terrible, why me?’ I went back to bed, couldn’t sleep, got up again. I thought I’d had enough. If it hadn’t been for the girls . . .”

Watson was unable to leave the house for more than two months after the initial operation.

Last week, Mr Michael Stroud, executive director of the Alexandra Hospital said Watson knew he faced another long recuperation period. “He understands that his recovery plan may be a long haul”

Known variously as the “working men’s tenor” and “The Voice,” Watson has sold four million albums worldwide since his blend of opera and pop shot him to fame in 1999.

Watson was due to release his new album on November 26.

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