Catherine Tyldesley has revealed that both of her parents Janet and Graham are battling coronavirus.
The actress, 36, made the surprise revelation during an interview with Lorraine Kelly on Friday’s Good Morning Britain, adding that her father was briefly hospitalised during his battle with the deadly disease.
Catherine also claimed that she believes coronavirus has been ‘knocking about for months,’ after her husband suffered from similar symptoms late last year.
Upsetting: Catherine Tyldesley has revealed that both of her parents are battling coronavirus, as she claimed she thinks the deadly disease may have been ‘knocking about’ for months
But Catherine insisted that after three weeks of battling the virus she is optimistic that her parents have ‘turned a corner’ towards getting better.
Speaking to Lorraine on video link, Catherine revealed that it had been a roundabout journey of her parents battling the virus, and her father did briefly go to hospital as his symptoms worsened.
She explained: ‘This is week three now of them having the virus and it’s been a bit of a slog, everytime we think they’re getting better, they seem to go backwards, but I do feel 100% they’ve started to turn a corner now.’
‘Last week my dad got taken to hospital and they said his odds were OK so they sent him home. But my mum said to me she’s never seen my dad so poorly and it’s so worrying because all I want to do is give them a hug.’
Scary: The actress revealed that her mum Janet and dad Graham have been suffering from symptoms of the deadly virus for three weeks
Catherine said the main contact she’s been having with her parents is through dropping off food parcels outside her home, and she’s tried to keep their spirits up by sending funny videos of her son Alfie.
She told Lorraine: ‘We’re sending them videos of Alfie having fun in the garden just to cheer them up and give them a bit of a boost, I’ve been throwing lots of vitamin D and Vitamin C at them and touch wood I think they’re over the worst of it now.
‘My grandmother is in isolation… we would be devastated it we passed anything onto her. Your instinct is to be there but the best thing you can do for these people is to stay away.’
Really? Catherine also claimed that after her husband Tom Pitfield suffered with similar symptoms last year, she believes the virus may have surfaced months earlier than thought
Catherine also made the surprise claim that she believes her husband Tom Pitfield may have contracted the virus last year following a flight to Dubai when he was hospitalised for five days.
She explained: ‘We travelled to Dubai in November, and when were on the flight there was a young chap who collapsed several times.
‘He was receiving oxygen from the amazing staff on board. We made it to Dubai and he got whisked away.
‘The following morning Tom was in the spare room and he said, ‘I can’t breathe.’ He was wheezing, and he’s never poorly. So I knew something was really wrong.
‘He got taken to hospital. They thought initially it was some kind of pneumonia. By day four Alfie’s temperature went up to 40 so we had the paramedics out once again.
Catherine continued: ‘I revealed this on Instagram once the holiday was over, and at least eight people DM’d me and said, ”I was on that flight, and I got it, or my wife got it, or my child go it.”
‘So, for me, I think this has been knocking around probably since September or October, and it’s gradually been building.
‘I’ve never seen Tom that poorly and he had every symptom of the coronavirus. Alfie wasn’t as bad, but as we now know it doesn’t tend to affect children as badly, in most cases. It’s too much of a coincidence.’
Lorraine did put Catherine’s claims to GMB’s resident medical expert Dr Hilary Jones, who insisted that the first cases of coronavirus came to light in the Chinese province of Wuhan in early December.
Catherine also chatted to Lorraine about her hilarious new Instagram alter-ego Olga Keff, who has been offering her own advice to fans during the lockdown.
The character – completed with cello-taped glasses, a unbrow and moustache – has left fans in hysterics with her alternative PSA’s.
Explaining the story behind her character, Catherine told Lorraine: ‘You put an actor in lockdown and there’s all things that are going on.
‘Olga’s been knocking around for many years, she’s knowing around with all the coronavirus tips, it’s been really really well received quite overwhelmed actually, she’ll continue to give top tips whilst we are in lockdown.
‘I came downstairs after filming and Tom said can you take off the moustache and the monobrow now.’
Following the news that her former co-star Simon Gregson had also been battling the deadly virus, Catherine said she was glad that he seemed to be recovering from the disease.
The mother-of-one also firmly urged viewers to adhere to social distancing guidelines, as the government reminded members of the public to stay at home during the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.
She said: ‘It seems to have affected [Simon] on more of a gastric sense, from what I’ve heard he’s turned a corner,
‘It’s affecting so many people that I know, even when I’m out on a work with Alfie and Tom, the social distancing people still aren’t getting it. You can be walking down a huge road and they’ll be walking towards us and we have to move.’