BBC star who appeared on Jonathan Ross show tragically dies from flu at 56
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A BBC star who appeared on a Jonathan Ross show has died suddenly from flu at the age of 56. Kerry Wilson died on January 3 after being put into an induced coma and sadly never recovered. She was the first-ever winner of Bob Says Opportunity Knocks back in 1987 and went on to appear on The Jonathan Ross Big Talent Show as well as Talking Telephone Numbers.
The entertainer also made appearances on Who Do You Do? and Summertime Special. Kerry, from Trentham, dipped into acting as she played the role of Cheryl Colclough on BBC Radio Stoke’s first-ever soap opera. Her devastated mum called Kerry her "best friend" and had her when she was just 16-years-old.
"It was very sudden. She’s never been in the hospital in her life; no major health issues or anything like that." Linda added to StokeonTrentLive: "But then this new flu came along. It’s been devastating. You just don’t expect it – everyone gets flued up every winter.
“She told me she felt a bit sniffly. As mothers do, I said to her, ‘Why don’t you ring 111?’ By the weekend, she didn’t feel any better so she gave them a call." Linda explained Kerry had a GP appointment "straight away" as her oxygen levels were low and within 12 hours she was put into a coma and on a ventilator.
Kerry was diagnosed with influenza A and her family thought she was starting to recover. Devastatingly, Kerry contracted sepsis. According to the NHS, sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to an infection and happens when your immune system overreacts to an infection and starts to damage your body's own tissues and organs.
