Brian Blessed gave a stomach-churning account of delivering a baby in a London park after spotting a woman giving birth under a tree.
The Blackadder actor stunned guests on the BBC’s Midweek show as he recounted the incident in graphic detail during a discussion about what women experience during childbirth.
A male midwife, an artist and a environmental activist all gave their own opinions on how hospital surroundings can affect a woman during labour, before Blessed piped up with what he claimed was his own experience of childbirth.
“Years ago, in about 1963, I was running over Richmond Park and a woman was having a baby in a tree and there was no one around. Because I’d been brought up with babies, kind of [in a ]working class background and helping with babies, I rushed across to her," he told his host, Libby Purves.
“Gradually I got the baby out. Yes, I delivered in Richmond Park and the afterbirth came out and I got rid of the clots, then I bit it loose, then I tied it into a knot and then I just called for help and eventually an ambulance came. I was covered in blood, my shirt was covered in blood, I was wrapping and wiping her [and saying] ‘It’s alright darling!’."
A representative for Blessed could not verify his claims, which quickly had his name trending and prompted fears the 78-year-old had passed away.
An incredulous Purves tried to intervene as he described the situation, asking him: “Brian, am I believing this?
But Blessed insisted his account was “absolutely true” and said his hands-on approach was a product of growing up in a mining village in South Yorkshire.
“I’ve never talked about it! Of course what I’m saying is, it was natural wasn’t it. […] I’d seen my mother do all this, it was always kept in the background, all the neighbours were kind of like midwives.”
An unconvinced Purves voiced what a woman might feel after unexpectedly going into labour and seeing Blessed, known for his booming voice, running to their rescue. “But Brian, if this extraordinary story is true, I have to say: I can think of few less restful things than having Brian Blessed attempt my birth in a park.”
Blessed said the woman gave birth to a healthy baby girl.
