Former ITV newsreader, Carol Barnes has been rushed to hospital after suffering what was thought to be a massive stroke.

Friends fear the worst for the 63 year old who collapsed at her home in Brighton last night.

Her agent Knight Ayton Management said: “Carol Barnes is seriously ill and is being cared for at the Royal Sussex County Hospital. Her son James and close friends have asked for their privacy to be respected.”

A friend told The Mirror: “Carol is still with us at the moment but she is unconscious and fighting for life as we speak.

“We have been told that the doctors treating her are doing everything they can, but they don’t think she will pull through. We are devastated. It’s come as a tremendous shock for everyone.”