Britain's Got Talent comedian Mike Newall has been taken to hospital after suffering a bleed on the brain while on a family holiday in Wales. The 45-year-old, who appeared on the show in 2020 and was dubbed the 'Noel Gallagher of comedy' by Simon Cowell, is currently being monitored by medical staff.
Wife shares health update
His wife, Nico Newall, shared a lengthy post on Instagram updating fans on his health and thanking them for their support. “How life can change in the blink of an eye,” she began. “Moments after this photo was taken, Mike suddenly became seriously ill. We called an ambulance, but it was quicker for me to drive him 40 minutes to the nearest hospital, all while my brave, funny man battled the most unbearable pain.”
“He was quickly blue-lighted to a specialist hospital in Liverpool after scans showed a brain haemorrhage. We were told to prepare for the worst, and so began the most agonising night of our lives. Thankfully, the bleed stopped.”
Recovery and support
“Even in the face of the worst, he remained so calm and positive. I’m so relieved to say that things have improved. His pain is being managed, his stats are improving every day and he is doing amazingly well,” she added. “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. But we’re feeling so much more hopeful today and just praying that he continues to make progress and makes a full recovery.”
She thanked fans for their “prayers, messages, calls, love and support,” adding: “Friends and family are everything. As for the comedy community - I’ve been in tears all day at your generosity. Testament to what a incredible guy Mike is. One day at a time.”
News of Mike's condition came to light after his close pal, Peter Vincent, shared a GoFundMe page raising funds for his recovery. A target of £16,000 was set up and the current total has passed the £12k mark at the time of writing.
Fundraiser and career
“Our mate Mike Newall fell poorly while on holiday in Wales and has been rushed to hospital in the North West with a brain haemorrhage,” Vincent wrote. “It’s obviously a serious condition, but he’s in good hands and we’re all wishing him a speedy recovery. Mike’s going to be out of action and unable to work for a good while, so lets take some of the financial pressure off him and his family. Anything you can put in will help.”
“After various scans, Mike has confirmed that they’ve found 17 brain cells. Here’s hoping he’ll talk a bit faster after all this is over,” Peter added light-heartedly. “Seriously though, let’s get behind Mike, his family and show him how much the comedy community cares.”
When Mike appeared on the ITV talent show in season 14, he was an immediate hit with the judges and audience on the back of his skit about bath bombs and break-ups. Unfortunately, he failed to make it through to the semi-finals, with Jon Courtenay taking home the crown.
