Thodoris Atheridis gave a comprehensive interview, during which he discussed various topics, including his relationship with Smaragda Karydi. The actor, who appeared on the morning show “To Proino” on January 3, confessed that he has been in love with her throughout their 22 years together. He emphasized that when respect and admiration exist in a relationship, passion remains alive.

At another point in the interview, Atheridis also talked about the stroke he experienced, explaining that he didn’t initially realize what was happening and expressed gratitude that this health issue did not leave him with any lasting damage.

Initially, host Giorgos Liagas asked the actor if he was still in love, to which Atheridis responded positively. “Even after all 22 years?” continued the host, with Atheridis once again answering affirmatively.

Atheridis explained that respect and admiration between partners help maintain passion over time. “After a few years, the sexual passion of intimacy diminishes, but if you respect and admire your partner, that passion never really goes away. It changes, becoming more tender, but ultimately what sustains a relationship is admiration and respect. We still say these things to each other,” he noted.

Regarding the stroke he suffered, Atheridis explained that he initially didn’t understand what had happened. “I wasn’t sure it was a stroke, which is why I went ahead with the performance. Had I known, I wouldn’t have done it. Every hour during a stroke, two million brain cells die. In my case, it took four hours to get to the doctor, so I lost eight million brain cells. Thankfully, it didn’t leave me with any issues. I made it just in time for the thrombolysis. The protocol is four and a half hours to get to the hospital, and I arrived at four hours and fifteen minutes,” he said.

The actor added that if his mother had known he had suffered a stroke at the time, she would have died of shock. “The doctor came and said he wanted an MRI. I called Eleni Kourkoula to cancel the evening performance. Smaragda Karydi was performing in a play at the time, and she arrived afterward. Meanwhile, the next day I was supposed to perform a christening. I stayed in the hospital for 48 hours. You didn’t hear about any of this because my mother was still alive. She would have died immediately. Imagine her learning that her son had suffered a stroke?” he concluded.