Charlie Webster thanks hospital staff and fans for support as she flies back to the UK

TV sports presenter Charlie Webster has thanked hospital staff and concerned fans for their support as she flew back to the UK to recover from a rare strain of malaria she caught while in Brazil.

Charlie fell ill after she cycled 3,000 miles from London to Rio to raise funds for the Jane Tomlinson Foundation.

Initially it was thought that she was suffering from dehydration from the cycle, but she was diagnosed with a "severe complication caused by a bacterial infection".

On Tuesday, her representatives tweeted out a statement that she had dictated to them, upon her arrival back in the UK.

“I'm so grateful to the staff at Copa D'or hospital in Rio for the care I received, they saved my life," the statement read. "The last few weeks have been hell and I'm just so thankful to be here."

Charlie will stay at St James hospital in Leeds to continue her recovery, and her condition remains stable but serious.