A BBC star who appeared on a show hosted by Jonathan Ross has died suddenly from flu aged 56.
Kerry Wilson, from Trentham in Stoke-on-Trent, was put in an induced coma but never recovered and passed away on January 3.
The entertainer was the first-ever winner of Bob Says Opportunity Knocks back in 1987 aged just 19.
She went on to appear on The Jonathan Ross Big Talent Show in 1997 and Talking Telephone Numbers.
Her other TV appearances included Who Do You Do? and Summertime Special.
Kerry also played the role of Cheryl Colclough on BBC Radio Stoke’s first-ever soap opera.
Her heartbroken mum Linda said: “She was my best friend. I was only 16 when I had Kerry. Kerry was very young, very lively.
“It was very sudden. She’s never been in the hospital in her life; no major health issues or anything like that.
“But then this new flu came along. It’s been devastating. You just don’t expect it – everyone gets flued up every winter.
“She told me she felt a bit sniffly. As mothers do, I said to her, ‘Why don’t you ring 111?’ By the weekend, she didn’t feel any better so she gave them a call.
“They made her an appointment with a GP straight away because her oxygen levels were right down.
“Within 12 hours she was in a coma, placed on a ventilator. It was identified as influenza A, which affects your lungs very badly and can give you pneumonia.
“We thought she was starting to recover, but then she contracted sepsis. A little while later she was gone.
“It was really rapid and totally unexpected. We were with her. Her family were at her side when they switched the machine off.
“I’ve experienced losing a child before, but I never thought it would happen again. The grief was unreal.
“There’s a quote I’ve always had in life to all the mothers out there: ‘if you think giving birth is painful, giving them back is excruciating’.”
Although she is devastated by her loss, mum Linda is eager to celebrate Kerry’s talents and wonderful personality.
She added: “In the 80s and 90s, Kerry was like a local celebrity. She opened events doing impressions, sometimes as Mrs Thatcher, she was always in the Pantomimes at the Regent, and she did lots of things for Radio Stoke.
“She was a comedian, an impressionist, a singer, and an all-round entertainer. She had a beautiful, beautiful voice.
“She had a very eclectic career and she did so many amazing things. When she was on TV, it was before the time of Netflix and all of that.
She was very funny and had such a generous nature.
Mum Linda
“So you had the BBC or ITV and that was your lot. Around 15 million people saw how talented she was.
“It seems like a bit of a cliché, but she was a beautiful person inside and out. She made everybody smile.
“Everybody said how kind she was – kindness was her number one thing.
“She was very funny and had such a generous nature. She was larger than life, and she always managed to light up a room.”
The devastated mother hopes her loss will inspire others to get a jab this year.
GETTING jabbed is one of the best ways to protect against these winter viruses.
The NHS is pleading with Brits to get vaccinated as cases and hospital admissions rise.
Flu, Covid and RSV vaccines are free to those who meet NHS eligibility criteria.
Adults aged 65 and over, care home residents and people aged six months to 64 years with specific underlying health conditions are all eligible for free Covid and flu jabs on the NHS.
Those not eligible for free vaccines can purchase one from their local chemist.
There is some evidence to suggest wearing a face mask can protect you from catching the bugs.
An RSV vaccination programme has recently been deployed by the NHS. As of November 2024.
More than one million have received an RSV vaccination.
The jab is available to those considered most vulnerable: older adults aged 75 to 79 and pregnant women.
Those not eligible can purchase a single dose of RSV vaccine from the pharmacy chain Boots for £245.
At this time there are no vaccines for norovirus – though some are in development.
So the best way to protect yourself from norovirus is to properly sanitise your hands, cover your mouth and nose when you cough and sneeze, dispose of tissues, let fresh air circulate and stay home if you’re unwell.
Delays in the rollout of the RSV vaccine may also mean some vulnerable people received it too late this year to be protected.
