Richard Bacon leaves hospital after being in medically induced coma

Former BBC TV Blue Peter presenter Richard Bacon leaves Lewisham Hospital in south east London with his wife Rebecca. Credit: PA Wire/PA Images

Richard Bacon has left hospital after spending six days in a medically induced coma.

The former Blue Peter presenter emerged from University Hospital Lewisham in south-east London on Thursday, accompanied by his wife Rebecca and walking with the aid of a frame.

The 42-year-old fell ill while flying to Britain from the US and was taken off the plane in a wheelchair before being admitted to hospital two weeks ago.

He was placed in a medically induced coma and, last week, his spokesman said he was “improving all the time”.

Before leaving the ward, Bacon tweeted that he was “cleared for take off”, along with a picture of his hospital bed.

He added: “Gone within the hour. I don’t know whether I see this as the bed I nearly died in or the bed that saved my life.

“Either way. I won’t miss it. But I will miss the 50 staff of Lewisham Hospital who definitely saved my life. Every. Single. One. Of. Them.”

On Wednesday, the radio and TV presenter marked his last full day in hospital and, paying tribute to Rebecca, said: “How will I ever thank her?”

He added: “I was in a coma for nine or 10 nights (I just learned). That’s a lot of staring at your husband and his pipes. And a lot of worry.”

Mr Bacon tweeted his gratitude at falling ill in the UK rather than the US. Credit: Richard Bacon/Twitter

He shared a picture of his hand intertwined with hers on the bed.

Ahead of his discharge on Thursday, Bacon also revealed that he had “last-day visitors” – his two children, Ivy and Arthur.

In a post on his Instagram story, he revealed that they were “kept away” while he was on life support, because it was “not my best look”.

Earlier this week, Bacon said in tweets which were later deleted that he “nearly died”.

He had written: “So, I did six days straight in a coma. Been here another four since.

Richard Bacon leaves hospital days after coming out of a medically induced coma. Credit: Dominic Lipinski/PA

“It’s an (as) yet unidentified double chest infection. I nearly died.

“At one point, as I was run down a hallway to ICU (an intensive care unit) at midnight, with a massive needle jammed in my chest – bit like Pulp Fiction – I thought, ‘This is it’.”

He was full of praise for the NHS and Lewisham Hospital.

He tweeted: “Low on energy but I love and admire all the team LEWISHAM HOSPITAL. VivaTheNHS.”