Britain’s Got Talent star Mike Newall was rushed to hospital after suffering “unbearable pain” due to a brain haemorrhage while on holiday with his family.
Newall appeared on the ITV talent show in 2020, impressing the audience and judges with his comedic talents.
The Manchester stand-up, 45, was on holiday with his two children and wife Nico when he became “seriously ill”.
Nico recalled the intense moment in an Instagram post, stating that everything had changed “in the blink of an eye”.
She said that she drove her husband 40 minutes to the nearest hospital since it would be quicker than going by ambulance. “All the while my brave, funny man battled the most unbearable pain,” she wrote in the caption.
After a brain scan suggested that he had suffered a haemorrhage, Newall was then referred to a specialist hospital in Liverpool. “We were told to prepare for the worst, and so began the most agonising night of our lives,” said his wife.
Nico praised her husband for remaining “so calm and positive” throughout the ordeal. “I’m so relieved to say things have improved,” she added. “His pain is being managed, his stats are improving every day and he is doing amazingly well.
“He still has a long road of recovery ahead, and there are risks the doctors are continuing to monitor round the clock over the next couple of weeks, so we’re taking everything one day at a time.
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“But we’re feeling so much more hopeful today and just praying that he continues to make progress and makes a full recovery.”
Thanking Newall’s followers for their support, Nico said “it has meant the absolute world to us” and is a “testament to what an incredible guy Mike is”.
“One day at a time,” she concluded, alongside a love heart emoji.
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open image in galleryA GoFundMe to support the Newall family during his recovery has been launched by promoter Peter Vincent, with only £700 left to go on the full goal of £16,000 at the time of writing.
“Let’s get behind Mike, his family and show him how much the comedy community cares,” wrote Vincent. “Give him 10 points.”
Newall earned plenty of laughs during his time on Britain’s Got Talent in 2020, with a stand-up routine that covered jokes about break-ups and relationships.
Praising the comedian, judge Simon Cowell compared his delivery to “an Oasis concert where Liam tells jokes”. Newall earned four yeses from the judges, but did not get a place in the live semi-finals.