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Richard Bacon opens up on illness and 'thoughtful' Piers Morgan: 'When you come that close to death, you also get to see the best side of people'

Richard Bacon has praised Piers Morgan for reaching out to his wife Rebecca McFarlane while he was in a coma fighting a double lung infection.

Bacon, 43, was rushed to hospital and placed in a medically induced coma for nine days last July after returning to the UK from the US.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain, on which he was standing in for Morgan, he said the illness gave him a new perspective.

“When you come that close to death, you also get to see the best side of people,” he said. “Not just the NHS that saved my life but also friends.

New gig: Richard Bacon with Susanna Reid on GMB (ITV)
New gig: Richard Bacon with Susanna Reid on GMB (ITV)

Revealing Morgan’s “compassionate” side, he continued: “I hesitate to pay tribute to Piers Morgan, but he did call my wife during that time, and was very sweet and actually very thoughtful. I was surprised by that!”

Bacon contracted a double lung infection in the US, which he said doctors believe was exacerbated by the pressure onboard a flight back to the UK.

Recovering: Richard Bacon leaving hospital after coming out of a medically induced coma (SplashNews.com)
Recovering: Richard Bacon leaving hospital after coming out of a medically induced coma (SplashNews.com)

He revealed he had a four minute window between the doctors telling him he needed to be in a coma and being put in it.

Bacon pulled through after two weeks of treatment at University Hospital Lewisham. Speaking weeks after the ordeal he said he had come “incredibly close” to death, before later adding he and his wife were undergoing therapy as there was “a lot to deal with and process”.

Bacon was standing in for Morgan who was also temporarily replaced by Richard Madeley earlier this week.

Despite his compassion during Bacon’s illness, he made sure to clarify he is not the presenter’s biggest fan after branding him a “snowflake” on Twitter.

Bacon tweeted a picture of himself and Susanna Reid rehearsing ahead of this morning’s show, to which Morgan replied: “Oh God, try not to woke my viewers into a snowflake stupor…”

Explaining Morgan’s tweet, Reid told Bacon: “He thinks you’re incredibly politically correct because you’re not necessarily as pro Trump as Piers Morgan is or as pro Brexit as some of our viewers may be.”

Bacon appeared unfazed, telling Reid he likes being PC.

Good Morning Britain is on ITV, weekdays at 6am