Paddy Doherty says he was hours from death with Covid-19.
Paddy Doherty
The 61-year-old TV personality - who found fame on 'Big Fat Gypsy Wedding - was put on oxygen in hospital as he battled the virus and pneumonia and he says paramedics told him he was close to death.
Speaking to the Daily Star newspaper: "I was getting worse. I had sweats, pains, exhaustion and headaches. I was in a bit of a mess.
"The paramedics arrived and said they needed to take me into hospital but I didn't want to go but they insisted because they were really worried for me.
"They said 'if you don’t go in you may not wake up tomorrow'."
Paddy urged his fans to take the virus seriously, saying: "I will say this, don't underestimate Covid. It has knocked me down for six, it is what it is.
"I'm gonna make you all laugh. I've been knocked out for the last couple of days.
“I can sit up now, I couldn’t sit up. Look, I can even move my hand, I couldn’t do that.
"I'm alive. It's not a joke, far from a wise crack. Keep your distance, don't shake hands."
Paddy's son Simey previously wrote on Facebook: "Can everybody please keep my father in prayer as I was just speaking to him and he has got double pneumonia also claw seen in the lungs and tested positive for Covid. He’s also on oxygen. Keep my father in prayer. [sic]"
The star's wife Roseanne added: "Please will everything pray for my Paddy he has been taken in to hospital.
"He is not very well. [sic]"