John McCririck convalesces at home

John McCririck will have to watch Friday's Cheltenham Gold Cup race on television after being released from hospital.

The racing pundit and former Celebrity Big Brother star, 72, known for his distinctive sideburns and deerstalker hat, is convalescing at home after being detained in Cheltenham General Hospital.

He complained of feeling unwell during the first day of the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday and was taken to hospital by ambulance.

The former Channel 4 pundit had said earlier this week that he planned on returning to Prestbury Park to watch the highlight of the four-day national hunt festival. But after being released from hospital he has returned home to recover.

McCririck's agent Patsy Martin said: "John is resting today. He is not going racing today and the next race meeting he will be attending will be Doncaster on Saturday week."

In January Channel 4 dropped McCririck from its racing coverage when it unveiled its new presenting team, headed by Clare Balding.

The star announced he was to sue the broadcaster for £3 million, claiming it axed him from its racing coverage because he was too old.

His wife Jenny told the Daily Mirror she believed the stress from a continuing disagreement with his former employer caused his illness.

She told the newspaper: "Look at the stress from Channel 4. He was perfectly OK, he had a check-up two weeks ago, but Channel 4 have done this to him."

 

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.