Tragedy as BBC star who appeared on Jonathan Ross show dies suddenly from flu aged 56

A BBC star who appeared on a show fronted 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.