Entertainment

Marty Wilde: I hope my coronavirus jab encourages others to get vaccinated

The rock and roll star was given the vaccine earlier this month.
The rock and roll star was given the vaccine earlier this month. The rock and roll star was given the vaccine earlier this month.

Marty Wilde has said he hopes his experience of being vaccinated against coronavirus “influences a lot of people” to do the same.

The 81-year-old rock and roll star was pictured getting his jab earlier this month after the rollout of the vaccine began.

He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain he is “feeling great” after getting the vaccine.

Marty Wilde celebrates 80th birthday
Marty Wilde celebrates 80th birthday (Ian West/PA)

“I hope that it influences a lot of people out there to get the injection,” he said.

“It is desperately needed by people all over this country.

“We are up against a big enemy and we are going to beat it.”

The singer – who scored a string of hits in the ’50s and ’60s with songs such as Teenager In Love – was among the first celebrities to get the vaccine.

The rollout of the vaccine in the UK began on December 8, starting with healthcare workers, people living in care homes and the elderly.

Those receiving the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine will be given a booster jab 21 days after their first dose to ensure the best chance of being protected against the virus.

Wilde was given his jab at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage.

He said the staff were “great”, adding they “spoiled me like mad”.

Investitures at Buckingham Palace
Investitures at Buckingham Palace (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Actor Sir Ian McKellen and Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith have also shared their experiences of being vaccinated.

Wilde also discussed his new Christmas singles, Christmas All Over The World and Christmas Fantasia, which were recorded with his daughters, Roxanne and Kim.

He said it was a “mistake” to have left releasing a festive song until now.

“I never really got round to it and I should have done a long, long time ago because there’s something lovely about Christmas and there’s something lovely about the songs, especially revenue-wise because every year they play them and, if you get a hit song, then you are going to make a lot of money,” he told the programme.