David Baddiel has revealed that his father, Colin, has been rushed to hospital.
The comedian, 56, took to Twitter on Thursday to explain how there had been a problem with his dad’s catheter which meant he had to be seen by medics.
Although saying he has ‘faith in the doctors and nurses’ to care for his parent, David shared his worries that Colin, 85, will not know what’s going on due to his dementia.
Scare: David Baddiel has revealed that his father, 85, has been rushed to hospital after there was a problem with his catheter (pictured with brother Ivor, left, in 2017)
Writing on Twitter, he said: ‘So my dad’s had to be rushed to hospital due to a weird f**k-up with his catheter that I won’t go into, but, still, no-one can go with him, and A&E don’t pick up the phone.
‘So. Basically, you just have to hope that he’s not just lying on a trolley somewhere. Sorry to be bleak.
‘The problem is, because he has dementia, he won’t know why he’s there, or how to even ask what’s happening, or when he’ll be seen, and…sorry. It’s such a nightmare’.
Sharing a third Tweet, David added: ‘Thanks so much for all your lovely good wishes. And yes, obviously I have faith in the doctors and nurses. But it doesn’t stop you worrying, I’m afraid.’
Alone: The comedian shared his worry that Colin will be left alone as nobody can go with him to A&E (pictured on Good Morning Britain last month)
Explained: David said he just had to hope his father wasn’t ‘lying on a trolley somewhere’
David’s father Colin has Pick’s disease, which is a type of frontotemporal dementia.
Symptoms of the condition can include personality and behaviour changes, language problems, and issues with memory.
The comedian candidly discussed his dad’s condition on Channel 4 documentary The Trouble with Dad back in 2017.
David revealed in the show that he felt ‘frightened’ of his father at times.
Worried: David thanked his fans for their kind words as he shared a third tweet on his father’s condition
He made the startling confession after a discussion with his brother Ivor about his father’s care, admitting: ‘I think one of the things that makes it difficult for us to imagine looking after our dad, is that on some level we are both still frightened of him.’
His father’s brash personality – which David adds always included a lot of swearing – has been heightened to a degree that has proved uncomfortable for David.
This has resulted in sexually inappropriate remarks that he doesn’t want his children, Dolly and son Ezra in particular to hear – and so temporarily stopped them from seeing him.
‘I’m always trepidatious about going to see my dad, particularly with anybody else,’ he explains about Colin’s difficulty meeting people.
Candid: David discussed his dad’s condition on Channel 4 documentary The Trouble with Dad back in 2017 where he revealed he had to temporarily stop his children Dolly and Ezra from seeing their grandfather (pictured with his children and wife Morwenna Banks)
‘He says a lot of sexual stuff, it’s inappropriate, we can’t take the children, they don’t want to go anyway. He would swear, and he is quite liable to say something sexual to my daughter.’
David, who has in the past shared his own concerns about eventually suffering from dementia himself, also recalled the type of relationship he and his brothers had with their father growing up.
‘I’ve never had a Hollywood father-son relationship with my dad, it’s mainly abusive banter. But now what has happened is the dementia has made it more extreme.
‘I think I would like to have some proper emotional connection with him before he dies… But I don’t know how that is going to happen now.’
Filmed over the course of a year, David explained how after the sudden death of his mother Sarah Fabian Baddiel in 2014, at the age of 75, he was forced to repeatedly tell his father that she had passed.
Family: David revealed that his father’s brash personality has been heightened since his diagnosis (pictured with brother Ivor)