'Neighbours' actress rushed to hospital

[Perdita]

Neighbours star Kym Valentine was rushed to hospital at the weekend after being struck down with pneumonia.

The actress, who plays Ramsay Street favourite Libby Kennedy, became seriously ill while on a flight home from New York. At one point, cabin crew administered oxygen as the soap star drifted in and out of consciousness.

Valentine is now recovering in hospital in Melbourne with her actor boyfriend Vince Colosimo by her side. Her Neighbours character will be written out of scenes for at least two weeks.

"It was a chest infection that was exacerbated by being on the plane and she became sick quite quickly," Valentine's manager Jacinta Walters said. "She is following doctors' orders and is in the best possible place."

Kym returned to Neighbours in 2007 following a three-year break from the Aussie soap.


I hope she gets well real soon.

[Abbie]

Oh dear, I hope she gets better soon

[Jessie Wallace]

Sounds like she'll be ok soon, which is fab news. Hopfully she won't be off the screen for too long

[Ruffed_lemur]

Really enjoying her being back in Neighbours. Get well soon Kym.

[soap-lover-xx]

get well soon, i hope she is ok
x

[pinkles14]

Get well soon kym hope she is ok.....

[Perdita]

More details about Neighbours star Kym Valentine's recent health problems have emerged in the Australian media.

As well as being struck down with pneumonia as previously reported, the actress also suffered a collapsed lung while she travelled on a flight from New York to Melbourne earlier this month.

Valentine, who plays Libby Kennedy in the soap, spent several days in hospital following the nightmare journey. She is now continuing to recuperate at home.

The Courier Mail newspaper claims that the soap star will speak about the health scare in a forthcoming magazine interview.

Kym is one of the show's longest-serving actresses. She first joined Ramsay Street in 1994 and stuck with the programme for ten years before leaving to appear in a stage version of Dirty Dancing. She returned to the soap in 2007.