Vernon Kay and Nicole Appleton lead the tributes to Bonnie Tyler as Total Eclipse Of The Heart icon dies aged 75

Vernon Kay and Nicole Appleton led the tributes to Bonnie Tyler following the news that the Total Eclipse Of The Heart icon died aged 75. 

The Welsh pop star, whose real name is Gaynor Hopkins, died just months after she was treated in intensive care after being placed in an induced coma following an emergency intestinal surgery. 

The statement on her website read on Thursday: 'Bonnie's family and team are heartbroken to announce that Bonnie unexpectedly passed away last night in hospital in Portugal as a result of the illness that she was being treated for.' 

Vernon, 52, was among the first to pay tribute to Bonnie on his Radio 2 show, before playing her famous track Holding Out For A Hero.

He said: 'Sad news that Bonnie Tyler has passed, so from us on mid-mornings on BBC Radio 2 and everyone on Radio 2, our thoughts are with her family.'

All Saints singer Nicole Appleton, 51, shared a throwback picture of Bonnie on Instagram Stories soon after hearing the news. 

She simply wrote: 'Bonnie RIP' alongside a love heart emoji. 

And This Morning hosts, Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley also paid tribute to Bonnie on the daytime show.

Ben said: 'Really, really sad news has been announced just a few moments ago on Bonnie Tyler's website.'

Nick Ferrari said: 'I remember interviewing her years ago because I was the pop reporter on The Sun at the time of Duran Duran and all these people and she was the most grounded person.

'She was lovely to interview and honestly, I remember her saying she couldn't quite believe how lucky she'd been, you know, a girl from Wales and she never took it for granted, always grounded and really, really decent matter. Great loss.'

Cat said that she had bumped into Bonnie backstage at ITV when she had appeared on Lorraine in February, saying: 'She was a lovely lady.'

Ben said: 'Our thoughts are with all her her friends and family during this really distressing time.'

A representative for BBC's Eurovision team also paid tribute to 'humble and kind' Bonnie, after she represented the UK in the contest back in 2013.

They said: 'The BBC Eurovision team are greatly saddened to hear the news that Bonnie Tyler, who represented the UK at Eurovision in 2013 passed away last night.

'Bonnie was a music legend and we were truly honoured that such an iconic performer represented the UK.

'Behind the scenes she was humble, huge fun and very kind. She brought energy to the contest and was a joy to spend time with. We all have such fond memories. Our thoughts and best wishes go to Bonnie’s family.'

Elsewhere, many fans paid tribute on X, writing: 'Such sad news about Bonnie Tyler. She was always one of those ''what you see, is what you get'' pop stars. The big voice, the big hair, big 80s production matched her personality - larger than life, yet down to earth. Farewell to one of Wales' finest performers.

'RIP Bonnie Tyler, thank you for giving us the best Nicholas Galitzine scene ever, Jeff singing to Total Eclipse Of The Heart in Bottoms is iconic.

'Dear Bonnie Tyler, thank you for your magnificent voice, the big smiles, the huge joy you have brought to us over the years. What a gift.'

Bonnie was due to perform at the Sunshine Festival in Worcester this summer, along with a number of European dates, and was also booked to perform at Cardiff's Utilita Arena on December 17. 

The singer was first admitted to hospital in May to be treated for emergency bowel surgery and a perforated intestine after a burst appendix. 

A spokesperson for the singer confirmed at the time: 'Bonnie has been put into an induced coma by her doctors to aid her recovery. We know that you all wish her well and ask for privacy at this difficult time please. 

'We will issue a further statement when we are able to.'

It was first reported that Bonnie had started feeling unwell in May.

She had been bedridden for two days at her Algarve home before her worried husband Robert Sullivan took her to the private hospital she was seen at before being transferred to Faro.

The singer, who has had multiple hits in her long career and competed at the Eurovision Song Contest representing the UK in 2013, is believed to have been rushed to hospital on April 30. 

A day earlier, when her health woes first emerged, the spokesman had said: 'We are very sorry to announce that Bonnie has been admitted to hospital in Faro, Portugal, where she has a home, for emergency intestinal surgery.

'The surgery went well and she is now recuperating.

'We know that all of her family, friends and fans will be concerned about this news and will be wishing her well for a full and swift recovery.'

She was said to have been 'stable' in an intermediate care unit at Faro Hospital before an apparent worsening of her health led to her being transferred to intensive care.

On June 15, the singer's team said she had woken up from a medically induced coma after suffering a cardiac arrest in Portugal a month previously.

They said at the time: 'Bonnie is no longer in a coma, but remains seriously ill. Although her condition is improving, the recovery process is slow.'

Sources said she had been maintaining her professional activity in the run-up to being taken to hospital, despite complaining of persistent pain for several weeks.

Cardiac arrest is a medical emergency in which the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops pumping blood, causing it to stop beating and disrupting oxygen flow to the body and brain.

It causes instant unconsciousness and collapse. Immediate action involving starting CPR and using a defibrillator where available is essential to prevent death.

A ruptured appendix is a severe medical emergency requiring immediate surgical intervention and antibiotics to prevent fatal infections.

When an infected appendix ruptures, it creates a hole and causes fecal matter and bacteria to leak into the abdominal cavity.