‘It’s the best birthday present’: Delighted Lionel Blair, 92, receives his second dose of the COVID vaccine as he says ‘I want to thank the scientists’
- Figures show that the NHS in England has now managed to inoculate almost 1.1million people since the mass immunisation drive began
- So far the country’s vaccination programme has been plagued by supply and staffing shortages and bureaucratic barriers that have strangled its scale-up
- The UK remains in national lockdown with a target of innoculating three million people per week
- Lionel, who has been married to his wife Susan since 1967, has three children, including comedian Matt and actress Lucy, and three grandchildren
- He is an actor, choreographer, tap dancer and television presenter and is best known in the UK for presenting the quiz programme Name That Tune
Veteran TV star Lionel Blair said he’s feeling ‘wonderful’ after having the second dose of the COVID vaccine.
Lionel, who turned 92 on December 12, appeared on Good Morning Britain on Thursday and said the vaccine was ‘the best birthday present I could have.’
He said: ”I’m feeling fine. It was the best birthday present I could have because I was 92 on December 12 and on that day they said I can have my first one, which I did, my first appointment.
‘It’s the best birthday present’: Delighted Lionel Blair, 92, has received his second dose of the Covid vaccine as he said on GMB on Thursday: ‘I want to thank the scientists’
The famous tap dancer said: ‘I want to thank the scientists for getting this together. It’s just wonderful, what they’ve done’
‘Yesterday I had my second.’
The famous tap dancer said: ‘I want to thank the scientists for getting this together. It’s just wonderful, what they’ve done.
‘I do the flu jab every year, I do as I’m told and that’s what everybody should do. Wear your mask, stay at home, wash your hands.’
Lionel received the first dose in December, attending the NHS vaccine centre, set up in the grounds of the horse racing course at Epsom, Surrey.
He added: ‘I do the flu jab every year, I do as I’m told and that’s what everybody should do. Wear your mask, stay at home, wash your hands’
After being filmed beaming while getting the jab, he later said: ‘I couldn’t believe it when they called me. It’s next week and then the next one is in January’ and here I am. I’m just … thinking, thank God I live here.’
Lionel looked delighted in the video as he was tended to by a nurse, who pulled his sleeve up and administered the jab, which he admitted was ‘fine’.
The star, who has been married to his wife Susan since 1967, has three children, including comedian Matt and actress Lucy, and admitted he is most excited to see his kids and three grandchildren once he has completed the vaccinations.
Lionel went on: ‘I’m hoping it’s going to make me live a bit longer! And seeing my grandchildren and children growing up. The whole thing means a great deal to me…
Injected: Veteran star Lionel received the first of two COVID vaccine jabs last month
Happy days! Lionel looked overjoyed once he had the first vaccine and pulled off a truly showbiz pose for the occasion
‘My back is the only thing that is weak. My doctor says it’s because of all the dancing in my career. I couldn’t wait for them to phone, I thought, “How do you get in touch”?’
Lionel is an actor, choreographer, tap dancer and television presenter and is best known in the UK for presenting the quiz programme Name That Tune, which ran from 1976 to 1988. He appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2014.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is scrambling to scale up the UK’s sluggish immunisation drive.
So far the country’s vaccination programme has been plagued by supply and staffing shortages, logistical problems and bureaucratic barriers that have strangled its scale-up. It has meant that only 1.3million Brits have had the jab since it launched a month ago.
Figures show that the NHS in England has now managed to inoculate almost 1.1million people since the mass immunisation drive began.
The UK remains in national lockdown with a target of innoculating three million people per week.
Wow! Lionel is an actor, choreographer, tap dancer and television presenter and is best known in the UK for presenting the quiz programme Name That Tune, which ran from 1976 to 1988 (pictured in 1975)