Natasha Kaplinsky has recalled the "terrible" boat accident which left her daughter Angelica with severe facial burns.

Natasha Kaplinsky

Natasha Kaplinsky

The 46-year-old newsreader was visibly emotional as she spoke of the horrific family ordeal which occurred last year on holiday to Corfu when a leak in the fuel pipe of the boat caused the vehicle to explode while she and her family were onboard.

Speaking on 'Loose Women', she said: "Something terrible went wrong with the boat after 15 minutes of being on it; it was long enough for us to be very far away from anywhere.

"There was a leak, we now know, in the fuel pipe, the boat stuttered and stopped.

"My husband made a phone call to get some advice and he was advised to turn the key to see what was happening with the pressure. It was just like a James Bond moment, the whole boat just blew.

"My daughter Angelica, who was eight at the time, myself and my dad, who doesn't swim, we were badly burnt at the time and we were all in the water for about 45 minutes before anybody found us, which we now understand to be a blessing in a way because the scars were much less because we were in the water for such a long time."

The broadcaster admitted she "couldn't bear" to look at her daughter's injured face and insisted there's "nothing worse" than seeing your child hurt.

She added: "There is nothing worse than being a mum and seeing your child injured. I just kept on looking at her and her face, because that's what was injured for her and her arm, and thinking about her wedding day.

"It was just one of the moments where you think, 'I just can't bear it.'

"But anyway, we now, nearly a year on - having had a lot of help and a lot of support from friends and amazing help from doctors - are OK.

"We were all air-lifted home and it was very traumatic at the time. It's a shock."


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