Richard Bacon, the British TV presenter who has hosted Nat Geo’s Explorer series and Fox syndicated talkshow Top 30, has come out of a medically induced coma. The television and radio presenter has spent the past week in a coma after becoming critically ill with suspected pneumonia on a flight from the U.S. to Britain. However, his mother Christine said that he now is now “getting better” after opening his eyes. “As many people know, my son Richard Bacon has been in a medically induced coma in intensive care for a week but he’s young, he’s fit and the NHS have been brilliant, and I’m sure he’ll come through this. Been very worrying. We’ve received so many lovely messages,” she tweeted. “There’s a long way to go yet, but this is a very positive step and it has eased my mind,” she told local newspaper the Mansfield Chad. “He was having a lot of oxygen ventilation, a lot more than a normal person would need, through a pipe, as well as lot of antibiotics. They kept him like that for a week and we hadn’t left his side, at one point we really felt we might lose him. “That went on until his temperature went down and then on Wednesday they did a tracheostomy to improve his breathing and bring him off sedation. It was such a relief when he opened his eyes. Although he is not responding to us very well yet, we can see that he is getting better. The doctors have said that he is very distressed and confused after being in a coma for a week, which you can understand, and that we need to keep talking to him and reminding him of where he is.” Bacon hosted Nat Geo’s Explorer series, which comprised three short films filmed across the world involving matters of social, political, environmental and humanitarian significance. In the first episode, Bacon hiked through Yosemite National Park with President Barack Obama. In June 2017, he began hosting daily half-hour newsmagazine series Top 30, which airs on Fox’s affiliate stations and has been renewed through 2019.<doc-sep>TV and radio presenter Richard Bacon is "improving all the time" in intensive care after being placed in a medically induced coma. The 42-year-old broadcaster fell ill while travelling to the UK from the US, where he now lives, and was taken off a plane in a wheelchair. His spokesman said the broadcaster "remains in a medically induced coma after falling ill last week but he is improving all the time". "Everyone is hopeful that he will recover quickly thanks to the incredible NHS treatment he is receiving," he said. "This has been very difficult for everyone who loves Richard, all of whom appreciate the many messages of support which have been received." Advertisement Image: The presenter was taken off a plane from the US in a wheelchair Bacon's mother Christine told the Mansfield Chad her son was having "a lot of oxygen ventilation" and "lots of antibiotics". "They kept him like that for a week and we hadn't left his side, at one point we really felt we might lose him," she said. "It was such a relief when he opened his eyes, although he is not responding to us very well yet we can see that he is getting better." She added: "The doctors have said that he is very distressed and confused after being in a coma for a week... and that we need to keep talking to him and reminding him of where he is. "There's a long way to go yet, but this is a very positive step and it has eased my mind." As many people know, my son @richardpbacon has been in a medically induced coma in intensive care for a week but he’s young, he’s fit and the NHS have been brilliant, and I’m sure he’ll come through this. Been very worrying. We’ve received so many lovely messages👏 — Christine Bacon (@xtinebacon) July 13, 2018 Ms Bacon also thanked the NHS and people for their messages of support on Twitter. "As many people know, my son Richard Bacon has been in a medically induced coma in intensive care for a week but he's young, he's fit and the NHS have been brilliant, and I'm sure he'll come through this," she wrote. "Been very worrying. We've received so many lovely messages." The comments come after the former Blue Peter presenter told his followers online last week that he was in hospital on the NHS's 70th birthday. "I don't like to miss a party," he joked. Posting a photo of himself in a hospital bed, he added: "Thank God I got ill in Britain (actually on the way to Britain, was taken off the plane in a wheelchair). "F*** all the ideology driven politicians who've messed up America's healthcare system. Viva the NHS. Happy 70th." He was believed to have fallen ill with pneumonia. However on Thursday, his sister Juliet said Bacon was in an induced coma in an Instagram post. "This is my seventh day visiting my brother who's been in an induced coma since last Thursday, just so grateful to the NHS x," she wrote. Celebrities have been sending the TV star messages of support online. "Sending magical powers to Richard Bacon x," wrote Keith Lemon. Presenter Jeremy Vine said: "Thinking of my friend Richard Bacon and his family at this frightening time." Comedy duo Dick and Dom added: "All our love and strength to Richard Bacon X."<doc-sep>
Richard Bacon’s spokesperson has said the broadcaster is still in a medically-induced coma, following an interview in which his mother was quoted as saying he was not. Late on Thursday afternoon, the spokesperson issued a statement, which read: “Richard remains in a medically induced coma after falling ill last week but he is improving all the time and everyone is hopeful that he will recover quickly thanks to the incredible NHS treatment he is receiving. “This has been very difficult for everyone who loves Richard, all of whom appreciate the many messages of support which have been received, and there will be no further comment at this time.” Kristina Bumphrey/Starpix/REX/Shutterstock Richard Bacon Earlier in the day, local news outlet the Mansfield Chad has a published an interview with Christine Bacon, in which she appeared to state Richard was no longer sedated. “He was having a lot of oxygen ventilation, a lot more than a normal person would need, through a pipe, as well as lot of antibiotics,” she was quoted as saying. “They kept him like that for a week and we hadn’t left his side, at one point we really felt we might lose him. “That went on until his temperature went down and then on Wednesday they did a tracheostomy to improve his breathing and bring him off sedation. “It was such a relief when he opened his eyes, although he’s not responding to us very well yet we can see that he is getting better.” “The doctors have said that he is very distressed and confused after being in a coma for a week, which you can understand, and that we need to keep talking to him and reminding him of where he is,” she continued. “There’s a long way to go yet, but this is a very positive step and it has eased my mind.” She also tweeted: As many people know, my son @richardpbacon has been in a medically induced coma in intensive care for a week but he’s young, he’s fit and the NHS have been brilliant, and I’m sure he’ll come through this. Been very worrying. We’ve received so many lovely messages👏 — Christine Bacon (@xtinebacon) July 13, 2018 The broadcaster had been placed into a coma after being taken ill on a flight from the US to the UK earlier this month. On Thursday, Richard’s sister Juliet shared an update on Instagram, telling her followers that she was visiting her brother in hospital for the seventh day running. A post shared by Juliet Bacon (@juliet_bacon) on Jul 12, 2018 at 9:56am PDT