‘It’s been a heartbreaking few days’ says Phillip Schofield as he emotionally announces his mum’s death
PHILLIP Schofield has emotionally announced the death of his beloved mum, Pat.
Heartbroken Phillip, 62, told fans his mother had passed away at 3pm today as he shared the news on Instagram.
It comes sixteen years after Phil's father, Brian, died aged 72 from a heart attack in 2008.
He wrote: "Today, at 3pm and after a heartbreaking weekend, my magnificent mum decided it was time to go to her beloved Brian.
"Over three days, we held her, loved her, hugged her and said everything that needed to be said.
"She was calm, peaceful, beautiful and dignified. I will forever be proud and privileged that she was my mum. I love you mum, forever."
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While he thanked healthcare professionals for their support, he did not reveal the cause of her death.
"Our eternal thanks to the paramedics, Treliske ASE and Critical Care team who have been, in the past and this weekend, my mum's and our angels. Your love and care has been our saviour."
The former This Morning host paid tribute to Pat with a montage of snaps in recent times.
She was seen on holiday, enjoying a show at The Royal Albert Hall, posing against a sunrise and strapped to a plane for a wing-walking experience.
Alongside a video, he wrote: "God I loved her for wanting to do this. One of the oldest ever ladies to wing walk."
Phil previously revealed both Pat and his convicted paedophile brother Timothy had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes within six months of each other.
Speaking to Health Awareness, he said: "My brother and mother are both Type 1 diabetics and have been for the last 25 years, so it is something that as a family we are very used to.
"If either of them have a hypo (a Hypoglycaemic episode which occurs when blood glucose levels drop, usually below 4 mmol/L), we can recognise the signs and we know what to do. My Mum goes particularly bonkers when she goes low, so when she starts talking nonsense we know what’s happening."
He added: "My brother was first to be diagnosed and he had an unquenchable thirst for fizzy drink, which was very unlike him. That continued for a few days, he was acting completely out of character. So we took him to the doctors and he was very quickly diagnosed. Then six months later my mum was diagnosed in the same way."
"My brother was very young at the time of diagnosis, probably in his late teens. He had always been very healthy and active. He is also seven years younger than me so it was a shock, as far as we were aware there was no history of the disorder in the family."
Type 1 vs type 2 diabetes
There are two main types of diabetes, which causes a person's blood sugar level to become too high.
Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong condition where the body's immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce the hormone insulin.
It affects around 344,000 people in the UK.
Type 2 diabetes on the other hand is far more common, accounting for more than 90 per cent of the 4.4million adults with diabetes.
It occurs when the body doesn't produce enough insulin, or the body's cells don't react to it properly.
There are no lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk of type 1 diabetes.
But you may be at higher risk of type 2 diabetes if you are overweight or obese, eat unhealthily, have a family history of the condition, take certain medications for a long time, have high blood pressure, and have had gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
People of Asian, Black African or African Caribbean origin are also at increased risk.
Source: NHS and Diabetes UK
