Fiona Phillips opens up on ‘horrible’ coronavirus symptoms which left her bedridden

TV presenter Fiona Phillips has opened up on her “horrible” ordeal with battling coronavirus symptoms.

The former GMTV host, 59, said she fell ill on March 20 and suffered a range of ailments including severe fatigue, a “fiery throat” and difficulty breathing.

It took her three weeks to recover from the illness, she said, as she spoke after announcing her symptoms had cleared.

She called the experience as "scary" and said she had been left bed-ridden for days.

Describing the experience in her column in The Mirror on Friday, Ms Phillips said it felt as if she had been "clobbered" in her sleep by the Covid-19 symptoms.

“However hard I tried to get myself out of bed and on with the day ahead, something was holding me back," she said.

"Its presence was exhausting and came accompanied by nasty side-effects."

Recounting the symptoms, she added: “I’d had horrible gut pain for a few days.

“My whole digestive tract was making a pain of itself, demanding attention and really dragging me down.”

Ms Phillips was still in bed three days after she first became ill and her husband – This Morning boss Martin Frizell – had to stay home from work to avoid the risk of infecting his ITV colleagues.

“Imagine how popular I’d have been if THAT had happened!” she said.

The TV presenter confirmed she was now feeling better, though still tired, adding: “My thoughts very much remain with those still fighting this horrible disease.”

A number of high-profile celebrities have been affected by the pandemic, including US star Tom Hanks, Luther actor Idris Elba and musician Pink.