Fern Britton in tears over doctor's chilling verdict on her health battle

Fern Britton suffered 'blunt force trauma' in Celebrity Big Brother accident

Fern Britton has revealed her intense ordeal with a severe shoulder injury, confessing she endured "in agony" for more than a year.

The beloved television presenter, aged 67, sustained a severe injury while doing the seemingly innocuous task of changing a bin liner, only to delay seeking medical attention for months due to COVID-19 related healthcare delays.

Penning her experiences in her latest book The Older I Get... How I Repowered My Life, Fern vividly recalls the fateful moment: "I opened the bin lid and thrust the bag forward."

The accident led to excruciating pain, as she explained, "But instead of a sense of childish achievement I felt an immediate searing pain. Instantly, I knew I'd done something serious."

She suffered for over a year in pain and struggled to get a doctor's appointment during the pandemic peak, lamenting, "For over a year I was in agony and it was at the time when you really couldn't see a doctor," reports Gloucestershire Live.

Fern spent over a year in pain (Image: INSTAGRAM/FERNBRITTON)

When Fern finally met with a surgeon, he confirmed what she feared: a total shoulder replacement was necessary.

The former face of This Morning was overcome with emotion, relief flooding through her on learning her condition was indeed serious: "I was so relieved that he knew I wasn't making the pain up, I cried," Fern shared. "I had to wait a year for the op but it was so worth it. It gave me time to get fit again, but more of that later."

After undergoing the significant operation last year in Cornwall, Fern expressed her gratitude towards the medical team and her family for their unwavering support with a touching social media message post-recovery.

Fern has revealed that her decision to undergo surgery was a turning point in reigniting her dedication to health and fitness. "If the surgeon was going to help me, I was going to help him by getting fitter in the readiness for the op," she wrote.

Aware of a year-long waiting list, she acknowledged having no excuse not to get fit. To boost her fitness levels, Fern quit smoking, revamped her diet, and increased her stamina with the help of the running programme couch to 5k.

Fern opened up about her health battle (Image: INSTAGRAM/FERNBRITTON)

The former TV presenter is also back on her bike, frequently sharing her cycling escapades on Instagram. "I also have an electric bike, which is perfect for whizzing up hills effortlessly and also good for regaining your confidence on two wheels," she penned.

"It's also the ideal option if you're new to cycling or your fitness levels are a little low."