She has become as famous for her ‘trout pout’ as she has for her acting career.

Now Leslie Ash is to investigate why her cosmetic surgery went wrong in a new television documentary.

The one-hour programme for ITV1 will expose the true state of the industry and explain how few qualifications are needed for people setting themselves up as practitioners.

However, Leslie, left, stops short of naming the doctor who performed her own procedure.

Leslie, star of the hit comedy Men Behaving Badly, had silicone injected into her upper lip six years ago.

Before and after: Leslie Ash has been living with her trout pout for six years

The end result was hugely disfiguring as her lips swelled to more than double their original size.

An ITV spokesman said: ‘Leslie has wanted to talk about what happened about her lips for a long time.

‘She was nervous about doing it but she felt very strongly that now was the right time to do something. She is passionate about the subject and really wanted to highlight

the fact that the industry is still so unregulated.’

The 48-year-old actress also interviews the singer Toyah Wilcox about her experiences with plastic surgery.

According to Jazz Thwaites, the managing director of Transparent Television, who made the show, it is, ultimately, a very personal journey.

Ms Thwaites praised Leslie’s screen presence, saying she is ‘absolutely fascinating’ and grows in confidence as she learns more about her procedure.

Leslie has not appeared on television since she was taken to hospital in April 2004 with a punctured lung and two broken ribs.

While being treated at the Chelsea and Westminster, she contracted a superbug which nearly killed her and temporarily left her paralysed from the waist down.

The actress, who still cannot walk without the help of a stick, was awarded record damages of £5million last January.