Suicidal woman's debt to comic

A woman driven to the brink of suicide by grief has credited Graham Norton with saving her life.

Nicola Rigby was tormented by depression after her mother Margaret died in her arms following two NHS blunders.

Medics mistakenly gave the 69-year-old the all-clear after she complained of stomach pains, but it turned out she had bowel cancel and was suffered a year of misery.

Eventually, she died after three weeks in intensive care at Torbay Hospital in Devon, causing her daughter to spiral into despair.

Now she has told how it was only Norton's kindness in the days following the 2001 death that saved her from suicide.

Nicola told the Torquay Herald Express:  "My world fell apart. I was an Only Child and mum and I were very close. I took two handfuls of tablets to try to end it all."

But she wrote to Norton and received a letter and signed photograph in return.

She said: "My mother and I so enjoyed watching his show together. I couldn't believe he had taken the trouble to write back and say how sorry he was to hear of my problems.

Published: 24 May 2004