Entertainment
Richard Bacon thinks about death ‘every day’ as he opens up about nine-day coma
Richard ‘almost died’ from a lung infection and had to be placed in an induced coma to save his life (Picture: Getty Images/instagram)
Richard Bacon has admitted he still thinks about death ‘every day’ after narrowly escaping with his life from an illness which put him in a coma for nine days.
In 2018, Richard quit his job with the idea that he would chase greener pastures – but a day later he was put in an induced coma with doctors expecting him to die.
Richard, 45, battled severe pneumonia in both lungs and was placed into a coma after doctors decided it was the only way to give him a chance to pull through.
After nine days, Richard awoke and went on to make a full recovery – but his brush with death continues to haunt him.
The presenter and game show writer spoke to The Guardian where he said he thinks about death ‘more or less every day. It sort of hovers around my life.’
He said his experience ‘took death from being a kind of slightly abstract concept to not an abstract concept.’
Doctors thought Richard would die when he was at his sickest but he miraculously pulled through (Picture: Richard Bacon/ Instagram)
‘It’s probably affecting my life all the time’, he admitted, from his work to his relationship with his children, wife and extended family. ‘I think it makes me work harder, makes me more impatient, more ambitious.’
Reflecting on the nine days where the NHS saved his life, Richard remembered falling ill on a flight back to Britain from Los Angeles and presenting at the Emergency department at Lewisham hospital.
Months later, Richard returned to the hospital where he met the consultant charged with his care, who told him: ‘We expected you to die.
Richard has made a full recovery and now works as a TV presenter and game show creator (Picture: ITV/Rex/Shutterstock)
‘You were lying on the hospital trolley and we were all surrounding you, you’re crashing, and all your signs are terrible. And [your blood oxygen level] went to 58, you turned blue. I thought you were going to go into cardiac arrest and die.’
More than two years since his coma shock, Richard has been going from strength to strength, both health-wise and in his career.
The presenter is preparing to host new Channel 4 documentary, Cancelled, with Jimmy Carr, which explores how lives and reputations can be ruined overnight with the rise of social media.
This subject is one close to Richard’s heart, as he was notoriously fired from his role as Blue Peter presenter in 1998 after a friend tipped off a tabloid that he used cocaine.
Richard lost his job as Blue Peter presenter after he was found to have taken cocaine (Picrure: Rex/Shutterstock)
Earlier this year, Richard noted that his sacking would have been ‘more frightening’ if it had been in the age of social media – however he also thinks he may have received more support from people.
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At the time of Richard’s highly publicised sacking, head of the BBC Children’s Programming, Lorraine Heggessy said: ‘It is sad that such a talented presenter as Richard Bacon has not only let himself and his colleagues down but, most important of all, he has let down the millions of children who watch Blue Peter.’
However, 20 years later, Richard attended Blue Peter’s 60th anniversary celebrations where he was finally awarded a Blue Peter badge and welcomed ‘back to the fold’ by fellow Blue Peter alumnus, Peter Purves.
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