A Celebrity Gogglebox favourite has provided an update on his health following a recent collapse.
Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder and bandmate Bez have become beloved fixtures on the popular Channel 4 show since joining in 2019. The duo has won over viewers with their amusing and frank observations, captivating audiences with their distinctive rapport and bold opinions on current television programmes.
The pair made an appearance on BBC Breakfast this Tuesday (January 6) to commemorate the 35th anniversary of their legendary album Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches. Happy Mondays are set to honour this milestone with a tour beginning in March.
During their chat with presenters Jon Kay and Sarah Campbell, Shaun disclosed details about a recent medical emergency. When Jon enquired: "How are you physically, because you weren't well before Christmas, were you?".
Shaun responded: "I got pneumonia. I was on tour [and] I ended up with pneumonia. [I] had to throw everything I could down me, every sort of painkiller and everything else just to get through it.", reports the Mirror.
"When I got back, I couldn't even go to the funeral, Mani's funeral. I got back the day before Mani's funeral and collapsed, so I couldn't even go... Like I say, you have to get the job done on the tour, we're old school you know."
Bez chimed in: "I did tell him he had to get better, but it took about six weeks before he started listening," with Shaun adding: "In the end, I got antibiotics and that was like a nuclear bomb going off, so that sorted me out quite quick. I've only been out of bed about four days."
Jon, taken aback, queried: "So, you were in bed right through Christmas? That's pretty rubbish, isn't it?" Shaun responded with a jest: "[It was] great. I didn't have to see the kids, the missus, or anything, just rotting in bed on my own."
Sarah then commented: "Well, you're looking well, and feeling well, I presume, because it's quite a lot of energy going on tour."
This revelation follows Bez's mock planning of Shaun's funeral in last year's Channel 4 reality series Celebrity Send Off.
Shaun confessed: "I've got 10 years left, maybe 15, so I should be thinking about it. My dad was dead by 74 and our kid is already dead," referring to his late brother and bandmate Paul, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 58. "I've been to a few funerals lately."
Fans of Happy Mondays can anticipate an exciting year ahead as the band is set to perform across 22 dates throughout March and April, hitting cities such as London, Nottingham, Cardiff, Newcastle, and their home turf of Manchester.
Shaun and Bez are set to join forces once again with their bandmates Mark Day, Gary Whelan and Dan Broad. They'll be performing the standout tracks from the album, including chart-topping singles like Step On, Kinky Afro and Loose Fit.
Fans can also look forward to other hits and crowd-pleasers such as 24 Hour Party People, Hallelujah, Judge Fudge and W. F. L.