The BBC star who appeared on the show hosted by Jonathan Ross has died suddenly of flu aged 56.
Kerry Wilson, from Trentham in Stoke-on-Trent, was placed in an induced coma but never recovered and passed away on January 3.
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BBC star Kerry Wilson has died suddenly of flu aged 56
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Kerry appeared on The Jonathan Ross Big Talent Show in 1997
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Kerry played the role of Cheryl Colclough in BBC Radio Stoke’s first soap opera Credit: Facebook / Kerry Wilson
The entertainer was the first ever winner of Bob Says Opportunity Knocks back in 1987 at just 19 years old.
She then appeared on The Jonathan Ross Big Talent Show in 1997 and Talking Telephone Numbers.
Her other TV appearances included Who Do You Do? and Summer Special.
Kerry also played the role of Cheryl Colclough in the first BBC Radio soap opera Stoke.
Her devastated mother Linda said: “She was my best friend. I was only 16 when I gave birth to Kerry. Kerry was very young, very lively.
“It was very sudden. She has never been in a hospital in her life, no major health problems or anything like that.
“But then this new flu came along. It was devastating. You just don’t expect it – everyone gets the flu every winter.
“She told me she was feeling a bit snotty. As mothers do, I said, ‘Why don’t you call 111?’ She didn’t feel better until the weekend, so she called them.
“They immediately made an appointment with a general practitioner because her oxygen level was very low.
“Within 12 hours she was in a coma, put on a ventilator. It was identified as influenza A, which affects the lungs very badly and can cause pneumonia.
Flu is likely to follow in children and adults, NHS chief executive says
“We thought she started to recover, but then she got sepsis. A little later she was gone.
“It was really quick and completely unexpected. We were with her. Her family was with her when they turned off the machine.
“I have already experienced the loss of a child, but I never thought it would happen again. The sadness was unreal.
“There’s a quote I’ve always had in my life for all mothers out there: ‘If you think birth is painful, giving birth is painful.'”
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The entertainer was the first winner of Bob Says Opportunity Knocks Credit: Facebook / Kerry Wilson
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Kerry was well known throughout Stoke-on-Trent Credit: Facebook / Kerry Wilson
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Kerry pictured with her heartbroken mother Linda
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‘Fit and healthy’ Kerry who has starred in multiple TV shows
Although devastated by the loss, mum Linda can’t wait to celebrate Kerry’s talents and beautiful personality.
She added: “In the 80s and 90s Kerry was something of a local celebrity. She opened events doing impressions, sometimes as Mrs Thatcher, was always in Pantomimes at the Regent and did lots of stuff for Radio Stoke.
“She was a comedian, an impressionist, a singer and an all-around entertainer. She had a beautiful, beautiful voice.
“She’s had a very eclectic career and she’s done so many amazing things. When she was on TV, it was before Netflix and all that.
She was very funny and had such a generous nature
Mom Linda
“So you had the BBC or ITV and that was your role. About 15 million people have seen how talented she is.
“It seems like a cliché, but she was a beautiful person inside and out. She made everyone smile.
“Everyone said how kind she was – kindness was her first priority.
“She was very funny and had such a generous nature. She was larger than life and always managed to light up a room.”
A devastated mother hopes her loss will encourage others to get a jab this year.
How can I protect myself?
STICK YOURSELF is one of the best ways to protect yourself from these winter viruses.
The National Health Service is urging Britons to get vaccinated as cases and hospital admissions rise.
Flu, covid and RSV vaccines are free for those who meet NHS eligibility criteria.
Adults aged 65 and over, care home residents and people aged six months to 64 with certain underlying health conditions are entitled to free Covid and flu shots on the NHS.
Those who are not eligible for free vaccines can purchase it at a local pharmacy.
There is some evidence to suggest that wearing a face mask can protect you from getting infected by bugs.
The NHS has recently launched a vaccination program against RSV. From November 2024
More than a million have received the RSV vaccination.
The jab is available to those considered most vulnerable: seniors aged 75 to 79 and pregnant women.
Those who are not eligible can buy a single dose of the RSV vaccine from the Boots pharmacy chain for £245.
There are currently no vaccines for norovirus – although some are in development.
Therefore, the best way to protect yourself from norovirus is to properly disinfect your hands, cover your mouth and nose when you cough and sneeze, throw away tissues, let fresh air circulate and stay home if you are unwell.
Delays in releasing the RSV vaccine may also mean that some vulnerable people received it too late this year to be protected.
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