Comedian Jim Bowen is recovering in hospital after suffering a mild stroke.

Jim, 73, a former pupil of Accrington Grammar School, was taken ill in the early hours of Friday, February 18 at his home in Melling.

He was taken into the Royal Lancaster Hospital where he is undergoing physiotherapy.

His wife Phyllis said: "He is being really well looked-after and is getting excellent care, but we are not sure how long he will be in.

"He has had physiotherapy and we have high hopes for him. I can't say how long it will take, as these things do take time.

"We have kept it quiet until the other day when I got a phone call to say it had been on Twitter and of course once it's there, it's everywhere.

"He is doing okay and they are looking after him well."

After working as a teacher, Jim began his career as a stand-up comedian in the 1960s before getting his big-break through the TV show The Comedians.

He is best-known as the presenter of Bullseye, the ITV gameshow which mixed general knowledge questions with darts.

He fronted the show from 1981 until 1995 and became famous for catchphrases like "You can't beat a bit of bully."