Gogglebox's Jonathan Tapper left 'fighting for life' as whole family catch coronavirus

17 July 2020, 11:11

The Gogglebox fan favourites all contracted COVID-19.

Gogglebox star Jonathan Tapper is fighting for his life after contracting coronavirus.

The father-of-two, who suffers from diabetes, was struggling and "heaving with every breath" after coming down with the illness.

Jonathan, 52, was left "unable to move" from the virus, which due to his existing condition of diabetes has left him much more vulnerable to the disease.

The whole Tapper family contracted the disease and kept vigil at Jonathan's bedside.

His wife Nikki, 47, said that medics advised the family order an oxygen machine so they could look after him at home.

Speaking of the ordeal, Nikki said: "One night Jonathan came home from work and was unable to move.

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"He had a cough and high temperature. He laid down on the sofa and – with no exaggeration – he stayed there for two weeks in our lounge room.

"We tended to him as best we could, but at times he seemed unable to breathe. Having spoken to the doctors, they urged us to stay home, but they said to quickly get an oxygen monitor, which fixed to his finger."

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"Jonathan has underlying health conditions like diabetes and is in his early 50s, so we were very concerned."

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Nikki and Jonathan are parents to Amy, 20, and Josh, 22, who were with their mother as their dad's condition worsened.

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"I rushed downstairs and couldn’t believe how pale he was, heaving with every breath," Nikki added.

"I tried to keep calm, asking him all the time if he could breathe. I felt that I couldn’t think straight because I was so unwell myself at the time too. Amy was crying.

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"But I kept vigil through the night and monitored his oxygen levels and luckily, with the help of 111 [NHS helpline], we got through to the next day.

"I’ve never been so afraid."