Richard Bacon, the broadcaster and radio personality, has come out of a medically induced coma after contracting pneumonia.

The former Blue Peter and BBC Radio 5 Live presenter was taken ill on a flight from the US, where he presents a programme for Fox Television.

He was rushed to A&E at Lewisham Hospital in south east London on July 5, from where he tweeted that he had double pneumonia. Shortly afterwards he was put into a medically induced coma.

“Thank God I got ill in Britain (actually on the way to Britain, was taken off the plane in a wheelchair)," he tweeted last week before his condition deteriorated.

“Viva the NHS. Happy 70th,” he added, referring to the health service's landmark anniversary.

Today, in an interview with the Nottingham Post, Mr Bacon’s mother, Christine, has said that her son is now out of his coma and is talking to his family.

Mrs Bacon told the newspaper that she was afraid that she might lose her son at one point.

She added: “It was such a relief when he opened his eyes, although he’s not responding to us very well yet we can see that he is getting better.”

Pneumonia is a swelling of the tissue in one or both lungs, usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection.

Richard Russell, a medical adviser for the British Lung Foundation, says that it is not uncommon for someone of Mr Bacon’s age - just 42 - to become so ill.

“Age doesn’t affect the severity of a case but rates of pneumonia are lower in fit and well adults,” he said.

He said that patients are sedated if they need help with their breathing.

“If someone needs help with breathing then being on an intensive care unit is essential, and [doctors] will often sedate or induce anaesthesia to allow the ventilators to do their jobs properly. This is hopefully short term and allows the doctors to better control the problems that the pneumonia has caused in the lungs. This hopefully leads to a better outcome,” said Dr Russell.

He said antibiotic drug resistance could also be a factor to consider when someone was not responding to treatment for pneumonia

“There are bacteria which cause pneumonia, which are resistant to some antibiotics in some parts of the world. Therefore an accurate travel history is important,” he said.

While flying would not make Mr Bacon’s condition any worse, sitting still for a prolonged period would not help to clear the chest and decreased oxygen levels when flying at altitude might make breathing more difficult, Dr Russell added.

He advised anyone who was unwell before a flight to check with their airline before flying, particularly if they have problems with low oxygen levels.

Although it does not seem likely in Mr Bacon's case, it is possible to contract chest infections while flying, the risk rising depending on where you sit.

Bacon, who now works for Fox TV in the US, is married to Rebecca McFarlane, daughter of Barclays’ chairman John, and has two children.