Robin Gibb looked a distressing sight on Tuesday afternoon (October 25th 2011) as he arrived for the filming of Alan Titchmarsh's UK chat show. It was an improvement, however, on Monday when the former Bee Gees star was forced to cancel a meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron, owing to an intestinal illness that has plagued him over the last 18 months.
It was a similar ailment that killed his twin brother Maurice Gibb in 2003 when the singer was just 53 years-old and the fears are that Robin has the same problem. Last August he had to have life-saving surgery after his intestine became blocked, and the UK's Daily Mirror reported that just 12 days ago he was rushed to a hospital in Oxford, UK, where hospital bosses later said he'd been treated for an inflamed colon. His meeting with Cameron yesterday was supposed to concern a charity single released with The Soldiers to promote the Poppy Appeal - he later apologised for his no-show on the Titchmarsh show.
Indeed his resilience is what's keeping his friends and family positive. Spencer Gibb, his son who has flown over from the US, told the Mirror, "He's keeping his spirits up. He's determined to get well and I've told him to stay strong," while another source close to the singer has been quoted as saying "Robin is not well. But he has always been a trouper and is determined to fight this. He is a very brave man indeed".