ANYBODY who watched Harry Redknapp starring in I’m A Celebrity will have seen just how much his beloved wife Sandra means to him.
But the former football manager admits that during an anniversary dinner in June last year, the couple realised they’d forgotten what date they became Mr and Mrs Redknapp.
InstagramHarry and Sandra Redknapp have been married for more than 50 years[/caption]
Instagram/@harryredknappHarry and Sandra tie the knot in 1968[/caption]
M&Y News Agency – The SunThe Redknapps relaxing in their garden in 1990[/caption]
The pair then spent 15 minutes during their posh meal at the plush Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa in Hampshire trying to remember.
Laughing, Harry told the Sun on Sunday: “We couldn’t work it out, it was funny.
“We’d gone there to celebrate our anniversary — it’s a lovely place in the New Forest.
“But we hadn’t really thought about how long we’d been married.
“After a while, you don’t really need to.
‘So lucky she survived’
“Even if it was a big number, we are not the kind who would renew our vows or anything like that.
“We are quite low-key, we don’t make a huge fuss, so when we booked, we didn’t tell them it was our anniversary.
“But somebody in the family had tipped them off, and after the meal they wheeled out this cake to our table — which was kind of them.
“It said that it was 57 years.
“But it was actually our 56th.
“We spent a good 15 minutes actually working out how long it really was.
“It doesn’t actually matter how many years, we just get on with life.”
Harry and Sandra, both now 78, met when they were just 17 and went on to become parents to sons Jamie and Mark.
Many know Harry as a former player and Tottenham Hotspur boss, but he also has an army of fans from his 2018 appearance on I’m A Celeb.
It was the emotional scenes of their reunion in the TV jungle that turned Sandra into a household name in her own right.
Afterwards, they wrote a book together and went on to feature in the 2020 reality series, Harry Redknapp’s Sandbanks Summer.
But there was a point when he thought he wouldn’t go into the jungle — because weeks earlier, Sandra had been taken seriously ill with sepsis.
Today, Harry reveals how that has led him to front a new campaign for the UK Sepsis Trust, to raise awareness about the condition.
“It was one of the scariest times of my life,” Harry recalls.
“I was terrified.
“She didn’t feel well, so went to the doctors and they gave her antibiotics, but that didn’t work.
“So she went back and got more antibiotics, but she was getting sicker.
Refer to CaptionSandra and Harry with son Jamie and their two grandsons[/caption]
The couple hug after Harry’s stint on I’m A CelebrityRex
“Late one night, we had to rush her to hospital.
“She was very, very ill.
“It was terrifying.
“We are so lucky she survived.
“If she hadn’t gone that night, I don’t want to think . . .
“It was a kidney infection that started it, and she had developed sepsis from there.”
Sepsis occurs when the body’s immune system overreacts to an infection and starts to damage its own tissues and organs.
It can result in multiple organ failure.
In the UK, sepsis causes around 48,000 deaths annually — more than lung, bowel and breast cancer combined.
It can be hard to spot, with symptoms sometimes similar to flu and chest infections, but it is usually treatable if caught early.
Telltale signs include difficulty breathing, pale or blue/grey skin, confusion or disorientation, drowsiness or difficulty waking up and feeling abnormally cold to the touch.
Australia MediaJungle king Harry with Sandra after his 2018 TV victory[/caption]
GettyHarry at Spurs in 2010[/caption]
Harry says: “People need to call 999 immediately if they think it is sepsis.
“The quicker the diagnosis, the better the outcome.
“I had no idea what sepsis was when Sandra was ill.
“I had no idea how serious it could be, or actually just how ill she was.
“When I was asked about helping on the campaign, I instantly said yes.
“I want to raise awareness of sepsis.
“Sandra and I, and our family, realise how lucky we are, but sadly some families aren’t so lucky.
‘All I want is a big TV’
“Sepsis is such a big killer.
“I probably do worry about Sandra a little bit more now than I did before because you realise what could have been.
“Luckily she is absolutely fine now, though.
“We got the treatment quickly.
“She got over it and then I went into the jungle.”
Harry told I’m A Celeb producers that if she fell ill again, he must be told so he could rush home to be with her.
Luckily we were out. It is what it is. I don’t like to make a fuss. There was no one in the house. The police did what they could, but they haven’t found them
Harry Redknapp
Their home is in the exclusive area of Sandbanks, in Poole, Dorset.
But just a few weeks ago, it was raided by a gang of hammer-wielding thieves who stole Sandra’s jewellery.
Harry says: “Luckily we were out.
“It is what it is.
“I don’t like to make a fuss.
“There was no one in the house.
“The police did what they could, but they haven’t found them.
“We don’t dwell on these things.
“We had security and they were caught on CCTV.
“The new place we’re moving to has lots of security.”
For the past couple of years, the Redknapps have been building their own dream “forever” home.
But Harry says: “To be honest, Sandra is in charge of all of that.
“The house will be finished in about three months.
“I’m not looking forward to the moving bit — always a hassle, isn’t it?
“But we are looking forward to having it ready.
“I’ve not really had much input — all I want is a big TV!”
But Harry is not a great fan of reality programmes, preferring instead to watch sport.
He says: “I enjoy football, boxing, racing, cricket, tennis.
“If I’m at home, I watch sport all day.”
Harry’s been tipped to appear on the All Stars edition of I’m A Celeb in South Africa with Gemma Collins, Mo Farah and Seann Walsh.
But he refuses to be drawn on the matter, even though he has fond memories of his jungle stint.
He says: “I loved I’m A Celebrity.
“They were such a great group of people — Fleur East, Anne Hegerty, Nick Knowles.
“I’m not too much into phones and WhatsApp groups, but we do have a group and we sometimes get in touch.
“I love to hear what people are up to.
“I think the last time we all properly messaged was when Nick got married.
Sepsis is such a big killer. I probably do worry about Sandra a little bit more now than I did before because you realise what could have been. Luckily she is absolutely fine now, though. We got the treatment quickly. She got over it and then I went into the jungle
Harry Redknapp
“I’m in a few WhatsApp groups.
“It is mainly to do with horses and syndicates, though.
‘Love seeing grandkids’
“But I could do without a phone, really.
“Yes, I guess it is an age thing.”
Harry, who also managed West Ham United and Portsmouth, could easily pass for a man a decade younger and has continued to keep fit ever since he stopped playing football.
When we chat, he has just been to the gym for an hour-long workout.
He says: “I do that two or three times a week and I play golf as often as I can.
“That’s my really big passions. And Sandra does the cooking — she tries to keep me fairly healthy.”
Plus their grandchildren keep them young.
Jamie has three children — two sons, Charley and Beau, from his marriage to singer Louise, and one son, Raphael, with his wife Frida Andersson. Mark has Harry Junior, Bobbie and Molly.
Harry says: “We love spending time with them.
“Jamie is up in London, so we don’t see his kids as much, but I speak to him every day.
“Mark lives round the corner, so that is lovely.
“I love seeing the grandkids, I am proud of them all.
“I don’t care what they do in their lives — whether they are footballers or not — as long as they’re nice people, that’s the most important thing. And happy and healthy.”
He and Sandra do worry about their health as they get older.
But Harry says: “That’s part of life.
“Obviously, you’re going to get illnesses, but we are doing OK.
“The only family member who really is acting his age is our bulldog Barney.
“He has reached the grand old age of 12, which is great for a bulldog, but he is stone deaf and his eyesight is going.
“I’ve just had to run around looking for him because he was outside.
“That keeps me fit — I can shout at him to come inside for hours.
“But he doesn’t hear a thing.”
For more information on the campaign, see sepsistrust.org.
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