Bonnie Tyler out of coma but ‘very unwell’ after emergency surgery
Singer Bonnie Tyler is out of a coma but remains very unwell in intensive care, a spokesperson has said.
The 75-year-old from Skewen, Wales, was rushed to hospital in Faro, Portugal, in May after emergency intestinal surgery and placed in an induced coma to aid her recovery.
Her condition is improving and doctors are “confident” she will recover, although progress is “slow”, the spokesperson added.
Tyler’s summer tour will be cancelled or postponed, while some autumn dates are still hoped to go ahead.
A statement posted on the star’s website said she “was no longer in a coma but remains very unwell and in intensive care in hospital in Portugal”.
“Although her condition is improving it is a slow process.”
“Her doctors remain confident that she will make a good recovery but it is going to take time,” it added.
The spokesperson thanked fans for their “huge outpouring of love and support” from around the world, adding Tyler was aware of it and grateful for the good wishes.
The statement also apologised for disruption to her summer tour dates, saying: “We apologise to all of Bonnie’s fans and to our promoter partners for the disappointment that this will cause but trust that you will understand and bear with us in these difficult circumstances.
“We hope to see you next year instead.”
Tyler’s team asked for privacy, and said further updates would follow when there were significant developments.
Tyler, born Gaynor Hopkins, grew up in a council house in Neath.
She became an international sensation with Total Eclipse of the Heart in 1983, and 43 years later the song passed the billion streams mark on Spotify.
She was discovered by talent scout Roger Bell in a club in Swansea, and released her first single Lost in France in 1977.
Five years later, she released Total Eclipse of the Heart which spent two weeks at UK number one, and four weeks in the US.
She received a Grammy nomination for the hit, as well as the album Faster Than the Speed of Night, and the single Here She Comes.
Tyler also represented the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013, finishing 19th out of 26 acts, and was made an MBE for her services to music in 2023.
