Richard Bacon has revealed he "would have died" if doctors had not put him into an induced coma after contracting a chest infection whilst travelling back to the UK from the US. In his first interview since leaving hospital, the former Blue Peter presenter described being in the coma as "the most shocking moment of my life". He told Radio 4's Broadcasting House that a senior doctor had said: "There were a few points where I thought you were probably going to die."
© Photo: InstagramRichard Bacon contracted a chest infection
Elaborating further, the 42-year-old presenter explained: "The first two nights went really badly - no one's fault - the infection was winning and my lungs were losing. My blood oxygen level went down to 70 percent, and when you go below 70 percent basically you are looking at death or brain damage - but more likely death." He added: "I hit 70 percent and for the first two nights, I have since found out, I came quite close to death."
STORY: Richard Bacon pays heartfelt tribute to wife after falling ill
Richard, who resides in Los Angeles, opened up about his healthy lifestyle, which sees him heading to the gym multiple times a week. Detailing his horrific flight when he started to feel unwell, the dad-of-two shared: "I started to feel very, very cold and slightly hallucinogenic... I felt like I was sitting in a field in winter and I was rocking back and forth. I was in such a state that when we landed after ten hours that they had to get me off the plane in a wheelchair."
© Photo: WENNRichard Bacon left hospital on Thursday with his wife Rebecca
Since being hospitalised, Richard has used his social media accounts to thank the NHS. "Cleared for take-off. Gone within the hour (I'll be leaving two weeks almost to the minute after I arrived)," he wrote on Instagram. "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. #VivaTheNHS."
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