BBC Breakfast's Louise Minchin shares health update after frostbite

BBC Breakfast's Louise Minchin shares health update after frostbite
Source: Daily Mail Online

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Louise Minchin has given her friends and fans a health update after she was rushed to hospital with frostbite while taking part in an arctic challenge.

The presenter, 57, was participating in the Inuvik Weekend Warrior Fat Bike Challenge in a bid to raise money for The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, where she attempted to cycle 300 miles in three days in the Arctic Circle.

But, days into the challenge, the BBC star took to her Instagram and told fans her and athlete Mimi Anderson, 61, were forced to quit the challenge to seek medical care.

Louise told her social media following that the duo were forced to stop after becoming 'dangerously cold' meaning it would be a 'huge risk to go on'.

She was taken to hospital in Canada to be checked over after revealing that both she and Mimi had developed frostbite from being out in the cold weather.

Now, the BBC Breakfast star has given yet another health update, reassuring fans that she is out of hospital and home in time for Easter after the scary ordeal.

Taking to Instagram, she penned: 'I am out of hospital in time for Easter thank goodness. Thanks to all of you for your messages.

'Profound thanks to all the doctors, nurses and staff who have looked after me over the last two weeks both here in the UK and in Canada.
'I am incredibly grateful for the care you have all given me.'

Louise was met with dozens of messages from fellow TV stars expressing their relief that she had made a full recovery from the frostbite.

Michelle Ackerley penned: 'So good to hear you're home. Hope you have a restful Easter,' as Helen Skelton added: 'Sending love superwoman.'

Gabby Roslin echoed: 'Thank goodness you're home. Sending you so much love and please take good care of yourself,' as Sian Williams wrote: 'Phew. Take good care of yourself Lou.'

Last month, Louise revealed she was urgently rushed to hospital with frostbite after being forced to quit a very extreme adventure challenge.

'ICE BIKE UPDATE,' she began her caption. 'We did around 140k in temperatures as low as -40 degrees. When we got to this point both of us knew we were very dangerously cold.

'The combination of the temperature and wind meant despite having prepared as much as we could have it was a huge risk to go on.

'Turns out we were right to stop. We both have frost bite and are being looked after incredibly well looked after. At the moment we remain in good spirits.'

Fans and other stars rushed to support Louise in the comments section, with fellow celebrities flooding with caring messages.

Greg Rutherford wrote: 'Bloody hell Lou! Be safe,' while Helen Skelton congratulated her: 'What an achievement so far!'

Gaby Roslin penned: 'Oh my word. Please take good care of yourself,' and Sally Nugent echoed: 'Take care love'.

Louise is no stranger to gruelling physical challenges and was last year featured on Gladiators' Celebrity Special.

Taking on the iconic Collision challenge, Louise was tasked with carrying balls across a bridge, while four Gladiators swung across in an attempt to stop her.

While Louise successfully managed to earn eight points, she did take a hit to the face, leaving her with a slightly bloody nose.

Speaking to host Bradley Walsh after the challenge, she asked: 'Am I bleeding?' and he responded: 'You got a little graze. It was for your suffering.'

It seemed that Louise was slow to recover from the hit, as while leaving the arena, she took another tumble.

Louise previously shared insight into filming and revealed she'd been left injured after getting kicked in the face: 'I don't know who cut my nose but there was blood'.

'When they're fighting you, you can't feel the pain. But being tackled by them is like hitting a brick wall. I just had these extra-ordinarily powerful legs kicking out at me. Honestly, they're units!'.

Louise was left with a bloody nose as she took on the gruelling first challenge during Gladiators' Celebrity Special on Wednesday.

The BBC Breakfast star, 55, went head-to-head with comedian Ellie Taylor in a star-studded edition of the revived show.

Taking on the iconic Collision challenge, Louise was tasked with carrying balls across a bridge, while four Gladiators swung across in an attempt to stop her.

While Louise successfully managed to earn eight points, she did take a hit to the face, leaving her with a slightly bloody nose.

Speaking to host Bradley Walsh after the challenge, she asked: ‘Am I bleeding?’ and he responded: ‘You got a little graze. It was for your suffering.’

It seemed that Louise was slow to recover from the hit, as while leaving the arena, she took another tumble.

Louise Minchin was left with a bloody nose as she took on the gruelling first challenge during Gladiators ' Celebrity Special on Wednesday

Louise previously shared insight into filming and revealed she'd been left injured after getting kicked in the face: 'I don't know who cut my nose but there was blood'.

'When they're fighting you, you can't feel the pain. But being tackled by them is like hitting a brick wall. I just had these extra-ordinarily powerful legs kicking out at me. Honestly, they're units!'.

After completing all four events, Louise had a two-second head start on Ellie in The Eliminator, but struggled to get over the first hurdle, so Ellie was able to take advantage and the lead as she swung through the paper to be crowned champion.

On winning Ellie told host Bradley Walsh: 'I can't believe I've just done that, I had such a wonderful time here with Louise, I'm really proud of myself.'

Elsewhere in the show, comedians Joel Dommett and Rob Beckett also did battle in the arena, with the I'm A Celebrity coming out on top in the Eliminator.

Joel went into The Eliminator with a half second lead on Rob Beckett.

Both managed to overcome their fear of heights and successfully climb up the cargo net but it was Joel who ran to the top of the travelator first, bursting through the paper to become Gladiators Celebrity champion.

Speaking to host Barney Walsh after his win Joel said: 'It was so tough, I knew Rob was there the entire time.'

The physically challenging game show was resurrected by the BBC in January, 32-years after its original ITV launch and 16-years after Sky One scrapped an earlier revival.

In April, it was confirmed that Gladiators was set for a return to the BBC with a celebrity spin-off after the rebooted show became a ratings smash.

Its arrival on the prime time Saturday night schedule proved to be a ratings winner for the BBC, with 28 day viewing figures revealing 9.8million tuned in for the first episode.

The sizeable audience share turned it into the most successful launch for an entertainment show on the BBC in seven years, with an average 8.3million viewers watching across the entire eleven episodes.

The popular game show was originally broadcast on ITV from 1992 to 2000, before returning for a single series on Sky One in 2008.