I won’t miss the bed I nearly died in but I will miss NHS staff who saved my life
Bacon cured, jokes star after coma
TV host Richard Bacon has made an emotional return home after a mystery illness nearly killed him.
The 42-year-old dad of two praised the NHS after waking up from his nine-day coma. He posted a picture of his hospital bed, with the message: “I don’t know if I see this as the bed I nearly died in or that saved my life. Either way, I won’t miss it. “But I’ll miss the 50 staff of Lewisham Hospital who definitely saved my life. Every. Single. One.” And Richard couldn’t resist a tongue-in-cheek social media status update: “Cured Bacon”. He left the hospital in South East London using a walking frame, with wife of 10 years Rebecca.
His kids Arthur, six, and Ivy, four, had bunting and “welcome home” signs ready for when he got back.
Friends and family feared the worst for the ex-Blue Peter host when he was rushed to A&E on July 5.
Doctors suspected pneumonia but Richard turned out to have a deadly unidentified double chest infection.
Medics put him in an induced coma to give his body a chance. He said after waking up: “I nearly died. At one point, I had a massive needle in my chest (bit like Pulp Fiction).”
He also paid tribute to Rebecca, saying: “How will I ever thank her? I was in a coma for nine or ten nights. That’s a lot of staring at your husband and his pipes. And a lot of worry.”