Hazel O’Connor’s brother has given an update on the singer-songwriter’s health after she was admitted to hospital earlier this week following a “serious medical event”.

In a post to Hazel’s Tumblr account, on Monday (January 17), Neil O’Connor shared an “important announcement” about his sister. According to the post, Hazel had been found unresponsive at her home in the south west of France.

After being taken to a local hospital, it was determined that she’d had a “bleeding on the brain” and that she should be transferred to a major hospital where her condition could more effectively monitored.

Neil’s post added that things were “touch and go, and the next 24 hours would determine how her recovery may go”.

Now, in a new update, Neil told BBC CWR that Hazel has been showing positive signs of improvement and that “everything is pointing to a recovery but it is going to take time”.

“We all thought it would be more devastating than it seems to be now,” he said, explaining that doctors thought she would need to have brain surgery but, upon being moved to a larger hospital, experts found the bleeding had receded.

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A post shared by Hazel O'Connor (@hazeloconnorofficial)

He added that since coming out of the coma, his sister had started to relearn motor skills, including swallowing. “She is responding to photos, she was looking at photos of her dogs yesterday and smiling so everything is moving in the right direction,” he said.

Neil said the outpouring of support for his sister had been “mind-boggling” and that the family was “absolutely grateful” for the public response.

“One day soon I hope Hazel will be able to read all these messages herself and see the reactions that have been coming from all over the world,” he said.

Hazel, 66, is best known for a string of UK Top 10 singles from the early 80s: ‘Eighth Day’, ‘D-Days’ and ‘Will You?’ She is also well known for appearing in the 1980 Brian Gibson film Breaking Glass, in which she played the role of Kate Crowley.

Her tour dates from February to June have been postponed, including an anniversary tour to mark 40 years since the release of Breaking Glass.