Shane MacGowan’s wife has asked for ‘love and prayers’ from fans after sharing a heartbreaking photo of the Fairytale of New York singer using a breathing apparatus as he continues to battle a dangerous brain condition.
Sharing the image of the Pogues rocker, Victoria Mary Clarke thanked everyone who had offered support to the couple in their time of need before sending well-wishes to ‘everyone who is struggling right now’.
The lead singer starred in the Celtic punk band alongside Spider Stacey and Terry Woods. The groups hit 1987 song, the Fairytale of New York, which they made alongside singer Kirsty MacColl, is now a Christmas classic.
The Irish journalist, 57, shared a new picture of the frontman, 65, smiling into the camera as he lay in a hospital bed.
Shane is currently in intensive care, where he has been for several months, after first being diagnosed with viral encephalitis – a condition that causes inflammation of the brain – last year. His wife has been regularly updating fans on the hitmaker’s condition on her social media platforms.
Writing on X last night she said: ‘I just wanted to say a massive thanks to everyone who has been messaging me and @ShaneMacGowan and thank you @spiderstacy and Terry Woods for coming to visit him.
‘Love and prayers for everyone who is struggling right now. Hang in there!’
Love: Shane MacGowan has asked for ‘love and prayers’ after sharing an update on her husband as he continues to struggle with ill health
Update: Victoria Mary Clarke sent well-wishes to ‘everyone who is struggling right now’ while thanking her followers for the support they have shown her
Ever since Shane’s health took a turn, Victoria has been providing regular updates on her social media
It is thought Shane was admitted back in intensive care in June but his wife has not revealed the exact reason why.
Throughout his most recent stay in hospital, a number of A-listers have taken the time to visit him – including his bandmates Spider Stacy and Terry Woods as well as US rock star Bruce Springsteen.
The singer was diagnosed with the illness later last year and is said to have exacerbated by shingles that spread to the eye.
Tragically it is just the latest in a long list of medical mishaps the Celtic band star has suffered over the years.
In 2016 he fell and broke his pelvis while dancing and has had to use a wheelchair or Zimmer frame ever since. Another fall left him with a broken right knee and torn ligaments around his left knee.
The series of falls has left his wife as his carer and the singer previously said he does not expect to walk again.
Earlier in his life, the lead singer overcame a heroin addiction, a high-speed fall from a car and numerous drunken fights.
It was his erratic behaviour that led him to be sacked as lead singer of the Pogues in 1991
Shane pictured with his bandmate Kirsty MacColl who died in December 2000
Tough: Shane has been staying in a hospital intensive care unit for several months
‘Terrified’: On Tuesday, she once again took to Instagram and posted some new pictures alongside a heartfelt caption
Health: The star was rushed to hospital last December where he was being ‘treated for an infection’ (pictured with his wife Victoria)
The most recent health update comes just days after Victoria shared a sweet photo of her kissing her husband in hospital, poignantly telling her followers sometimes you can’t imagine life without this person that you love’.
In the heartfelt caption she wrote: ‘Love is the most beautiful and powerful thing that we can experience as humans but love can also feel painful, especially if you are afraid of losing a person or anything else that you love.
‘The really really big challenge that we all face is to go beyond what our minds think are the limits of love and what love really is.’
His wife continued: ‘A lot of the time that thing we call love can more accurately be described as attachment or desire or need or longing or closeness or connection.
‘And all of these are totally valuable and human and we need to acknowledge and appreciate and accept every part of our experience.
‘But sometimes when you love very deeply you will find yourself facing terrifying fears of loss that can feel so big and devastating that you don’t know how you can survive them and you can’t imagine life without this person that you love.
‘It’s in these moments when you are staring into the abyss that you have an opportunity to expand your consciousness beyond the limitations of your mind.’
Last month in a different update Victoria shared more photos of Shane smiling in bed and relayed a messaged to his fans.
Captioning the snap, Victoria appeared to reference the ongoing devastating conflict between Israel and Hamas as she shared some positive words from Shane.
She wrote: ‘Shane is praying for peace and love for everyone in the world’.
It came after Victoria shared another picture of Shane earlier this month, and voiced her optimism that he would be able to return home, while voicing her gratitude for those caring for him.
She tweeted: ‘Feeling really really grateful that @ShaneMacGowan is looking so bright today! And we as determined as ever to get home!
‘Thank you a million times to all of the doctors and nurses and all of the staff and everyone who is visiting him!’
Victoria previously spoke about the struggle she’s experienced to remain positive in the face of Shane’s health troubles.
She wrote on Instagram: ‘A lot of the time life goes on as normal but sometimes things happen to shake things up and not necessarily in ways that you want!
‘We have had some pretty scary health challenges in our family recently and it has been showing me that the idea of just trusting and going with the flow is not easy!!!
‘The natural reaction for most of us when we are in a scary situation and a loved one is in danger of dying is to totally freak out and imagine the worst and it can be hard to stay positive and stay calm and strong and not collapse in a blubbering heap!
‘But I have noticed that if you allow yourself to cry and to feel all of the fear and even to collapse and you don’t judge yourself for your feelings and you have compassion for yourself and everyone else around you even in the really dark moments it’s like that is the real meaning of going with the flow.
‘Trusting that things will somehow work out doesn’t mean you have to pretend that you are not afraid.
‘It means that you can trust yourself to be anything you need to be and feel anything that you feel and if you stay connected to your heart without telling yourself that you are doing it wrong you can find that your heart responds by being far more full of love and courage and appreciation and compassion than you thought possible.
‘And when you feel love in your heart you stay focused in the present instead of worrying about the future.
‘And you literally take heart from the love that you feel for your special person and also for all of the doctors and nurses and staff and your family and friends and everyone around you.
‘It’s not really a challenge that we want to invite into our lives but you can be surprised by what comes out of it when you stay open to the possibilities!
‘Love and gratitude for so many prayers and so much support for @shanemacgowanofficial.’
In June, Victoria also opened up about Shane’s health worries in an Instagram post.
She had written: ‘There has been a lot of turbulence in my life recently and it’s been very emotional and also scary.
‘But this past few days I have noticed that even though there’s a LOT of fear there is also a huge amount of love and support and incredible blessings.
‘I think that our minds can be VERY resistant to change and to having our lives shaken up and rearranged and we need to be very gentle and patient with ourselves…
‘It’s a challenge to stay present with your feelings. Thank you to everyone who has been supporting me and @shanemacgowanofficial.’
Shane has been battling with his health for some time and had another hospital stint at the end of last year, when he was thought to have had both shingles and encephalitis – but he returned home in time for Christmas.
Wife: Victoria, who married Shane in an intimate ceremony in Copenhagen in 2018 (pictured), after a 35 year romance asked fans to pray for him back in June
Encephalitis is an uncommon but serious condition in which the brain becomes inflamed (swollen).
It can be life-threatening and requires urgent treatment in hospital.
In the video, Shane confirmed: ‘Hi friends, I’m sitting here suffering from encephalitis.
Wearing a pair of sunglasses to protect against the light sensitivity, he added: ‘The light is killing me […] but I wanted to wish you a Happy New Year and Happy Christmas.
And many more, and all the luck in the world and all the love. Happy Christmas and Happy New Year, love Shane.’
Shane had also wished his followers well over the festive period on Christmas Day.
He shared a short snippet of himself waving at the camera and saying: ‘Merry Christmas everyone’.
Alongside the video, he wrote on Twitter: ‘Happy Christmas everyone and thank you for all your messages and prayers’.
Fans were left concerned when he was rushed to hospital but his wife Victoria confirmed on December 15 that he was back home.
Writing to her followers on Twitter, Irish journalist Victoria, 56, wrote: ‘Shane is home and we are going to watch the football ⚽️!
‘Thank you everyone who has been messaging and blessings to everyone who has a loved one in hospital and who is in hospital themselves and blessings to the doctors and nurses! @ShaneMacGowan.’
Shane was wrapped up warm in the picture shared to her 29,000 followers, wearing a fluffy hat, sunglasses and covered in a blanket.
Shane, who has used a wheelchair since he broke his pelvis in 2015, has been in and out of hospital in recent years.
Fans wished the singer, whose hits include Fairytale of New York, a speedy recovery and hoped he’d be home for Christmas.
Victoria previously updated his fans with a photo of the musician smiling from his hospital bed.
Alongside the snap, she wrote: ‘Fingers crossed @ShaneMacGowan will be home tomorrow! @PoguesOfficial.
Victoria gave fans an update on her husband’s health earlier this month, tweeting that ‘doctors are confident he will be OK.’
‘I just wanted to thank everyone who has been sending good wishes for @ShaneMacGowan, he is being treated for an infection and the doctors are confident that he will be ok.’
‘I am just incredibly grateful to them and to all of you,’ Victoria wrote.
Victoria shared a picture of the musician smiling as she revealed he had been admitted to hospital.
She tweeted: ‘Please send prayers and healing vibes to Shane MacGowan in hospital again and really hoping to get out asap!! Thank you.’
One fan wrote beneath her update: ‘Not at Christmas, the man is the sound of Christmas… I hope he recovers swiftly and not too much discomfort.’
Victoria told the Irish Mirror that Shane is finding it ‘frustrating’ and wants to get out after being admitted.
She said: ‘I’m definitely hoping he gets out this week. He’s a bit frustrated, I think. He finds it very frustrating… he wants to get out.’
The couple have been together for more than 35 years and tied the knot at Copenhagen City Hall in Denmark in November 2018.
The intimate ceremony was attended by their close friend Johnny Depp, who performed.
The Irish singer-songwriter has had health troubles since he broke his pelvis.
In 2021 he fell and broke a knee, before tearing ligaments in his left knee, never fully recovering from the injuries.
In April he confirmed that he ‘can’t walk any more’.
He has also been open about his battle with addiction and in 2015 had to get a full set of teeth implants after decades of drinking and drugs destroyed his real ones.
But just last week he seemed in good spirits when he delighted fans by joining TikTok, clocking up 840,000 views for his first video.
He said in the 17-second clip: ‘Welcome to Shane MacGowan on TikTok, I hope you enjoy. God bless, Shane.’