Richard Madeley has revealed how he almost choked to death but had thankfully been saved by his sister.
Madeley, 67, returned to our screens on Tuesday (January 2) to present ITV morning news show Good Morning Britain. He was joined by Susanna Reid, who had taken time off from the show over the course of the festive period.
During the programme, the pair spoke to Chesney Hawkes about his new tour and album, which will be released in the upcoming year. However, attention soon turned to Chesney’s near-death experience after the plane he was flying on suddenly lost pressure.
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As Hawkes was flying from Greece to Barcelona with his wife, the plane the pair were travelling on dropped 20,000ft in the air as the cabin pressure dropped significantly, causing panic amongst passengers and staff alike. Fearing they would die, Chesney and his wife recorded a message for their young kids before accepting the worst could happen.
Luckily, the plane was able to stabilise itself and arrive in Barcelona. However, Chesney was left shocked and traumatised by the ordeal – which was replicated when he retold the story to Reid and Madeley, who were both stunned at the tale.
As the interview wrapped up, Richard – inspired by Chesney’s bravery – made a startling revelation that he too almost died before he was ready. He admitted that he had been eating some food and that it had gotten stuck in his throat, causing him to start choking.
“I nearly choked to death once,” Richard admitted whilst on the show. “I really nearly choked to death, but I was saved by my sister who did the Heimlich manoeuvre.”
“In the moments before I thought I would lose consciousness, a great calm descended,” he added. Chesney, listening to the horror tale, sympathised with Madeley saying he knew how he felt.
“Yeah there’s something about that,” Hawkes interjected. “I know that feeling because [my wife and I] looked at each other in our eyes and were like, ‘If that’s it, that’s it’.”
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As the pair finished the interview, Richard was quick to return to his jovial self as he quipped: “Got to go sometime, I guess!” Co-host Susanna, visibly stunned at the remark, gasped as she muttered: “Right, let’s not think about that, shall we?”
Good Morning Britain airs every weekday at 6am on ITV1 and ITVX
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk