Telly presenter Anna Richardson told fans her "heart hurts" after her uncle Geoff Richardson lost his battle with coronavirus.
The TV star, 49, shared the sad news on Twitter revealing her uncle died in hospital in Kent last Monday, a week after he was admitted with Covid-19 symptoms.
She wrote: "It hurts my heart to say my lovely Uncle Geoff has lost his fight against Covid-19.
"The family are raising money for the NHS staff who tried so hard to save him in ICU. Please...if you have a spare £... donate. We’re all in this together."
Geoff had underlying health conditions and went on to develop pneumonia before passing away.
Anna's family has now has started a campaign to raise money for the NHS and all the brave staff who looked after him.
They launched a page on JustGiving and Anna urged fans to donate.
A message posted on the page explained: "Our loving father and husband Geoff was admitted to the WHH On 6th April 2020, having been at home feeling unwell for a few days.
"Unfortunately he was diagnosed with Covid-19 which combined with other health issues led to Pneumonia and he passed away Monday 13th April 2020.
"The paramedics, doctors and nurses that cared for him under these extremely difficult circumstances were absolutely amazing and we can't thank them enough for all they did."
Anna set a fundraising target of £500, but she'd managed to raise more than £900 by Monday morning.
The TV star was sent messages of support from fans and famous friends, including Bake Off star Candice Brown, who tweeted her sympathies.
She wrote: "So sorry" along with a broken heart emoji.
Anna replied: "Bloody awful isn’t it? Not even an oatcake can cheer me up...x"
After another message from a fan, she wrote back: "He was a lovely man. Thank you x."
