TV personality Piers Morgan has opened up about his recent battle with the deadly coronavirus, crediting the vaccine with potentially saving his life.
The former Good Morning Britain presenter also revealed his frustration at how "unfair" it is that one-time colleague Kate Garraway 's husband Derek Drape never got a chance to have the lifesaving jab.
The 53-year-old dad-of-two "remains in a virtual coma" 15 months after first contracting the virus, still requiring "under 24/7 nursing care" at his home with wife Kate.
Writing in the Daily Mail, Piers gave a documented diary of his experience with the viral disease, also giving readers an update on Derek's condition after catching up with 54-year-old Kate.
"'I've been thinking about you guys so much in the past week. I've felt pretty awful with Covid but the vaccine may well have saved my life. Derek never had the chance to take one'," the presenter recalls telling his broadcasting friend.
"That just seems so desperately unfair."
The mum-of-two agreed with the star's sentiment and expressed her wish for everyone to take the vaccine if able to, as she "wouldn't wish what we're going through on anyone."
Elsewhere in the piece, Piers retells his battle with the virus that left him "flat-lined in bed" and unable taste his favourite "Chateau Batailley".
"Horrible night of high fever, cold sweats, ferocious coughing and sneezing and strange aches all over my body, none of which has been helped by the very hot weather that's turned my bedroom into a Saharan furnace," the star remembers his Friday after catching coronavirus.
The 56-year-old caught the Delta variant of the contagious disease while watching England's defeat to Italy in the Euro 2020 final on Sunday 11 July at Wembley.
Despite concerns from his wife Celia Walden about attending the match, the former journalist confesses he thought he would be safe given the restrictions in place at the stadium and the fact he had received both doses of the vaccine.
However, he goes on to admit that consuming alcohol lowered his guard and he mingled with fans throughout the game, posing for pictures with celebrity pal, comedian Jack Whitehall.
Two days after England's crushing defeat, the TV presenter came down with symptoms and a test revealed that he had contracted coronavirus following his sporting outing.
After testing positive, the Life Stories host is now one of over five million people across the UK that have been infected, with 129,000 of those dying within 28 days of discovering they have caught the virus.
Throughout his essay about his experience, Piers is exceptionally grateful to have been "double-jabbed" with Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.
He explains that while we don't know exactly how effective the vaccines are at preventing serious illness, he would have felt "a damn sight more unsettled" had he not been vaccinated.
The dad-of-four had a message for anyone across the country who hasn't yet taken up the NHS offer of a free vaccination if eligible to do so.
"My own advice is very simple: GET JABBED!" Piers concluded his piece.
