Sir Bruce Forsyth's wife, Lady Wilnelia, has spoken about her fears for her husband's health. Forsyth, 88, has had to drop out of next week's Child
Sir Bruce Forsyth’s wife, Lady Wilnelia, has spoken about her fears for her husband’s health.
Forsyth, 88, has had to drop out of next week’s Children in Need special due to his weak condition, following two life-threatening aneurysms last year. Frail Forsyth is struggling to walk and barely leaves his house; his wife has revealed. His wife, 59, also states his constant health battle can often leave them “crying”.
He had a fall at home last October, and his medical tests showed that he had two life-threatening aneurysms – swellings of the main blood vessel from the heart – which if burst would have proved fatal. The operation was a “complete success” at the time, yet his recovery has taken him much longer than what was expected.
“He’s the man I fell in love with because his brain is there,” Wilnelia states. She said: “The operation took his energy because of his age, there’s no question about it. “Some days are better than others. On the not-so-good days, he tries to rest.”
The couple had been planning to go to Puerto Rico together for New Year’s Eve, but the trip has been put on hold. “He’s in incredible shape mentally, but he gets very tired,” Wilnelia said. “He doesn’t want to do anything until he’s 100 per cent well. I respect that.”
Len Goodman, who is also part of the Strictly Come Dancings original team with Forsyth, expressed his “sadness” at the time: “He’s somebody that everyone has grown up with – I remember him doing Sunday Night at the London Palladium when I was 13 or 14,” explained Goodman. Goodman is now also set to leave Strictly: in July, the 72-year-old announced he would be leaving the panel at the end of the present series.
Lady Wilnelia said Sir Bruce was still enjoying puzzles and the internet and programmes including the Olympics, The Apprentice and Question Tlneliaime, as well as spending time with his grandchildren. Sir Bruce has not been seen in public recently, having been too frail to attend the funerals of close friends Ronnie Corbett or Sir Terry Wogan.
He left Strictly in 2014 after nearly ten years presenting the BBC One show with Tess Daly.
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