Katy French still 'serious' in hospital

Top model Katy French remains in a serious condition in hospital, health officials said tonight.

No confirmation has been given for the cause of the socialite’s reported collapse at a house party.

Relatives are facing another anxious night as the 24-year-old fights for her life in Navan Hospital.

Earlier today Michael Healy-Rae, who appeared with French in the hit RTE programme 'Celebrities Go Wild', said he believed she had the strength of character to recover.

He also spoke of how she was full of life at her birthday party in central Dublin just days ago.

“I was at her birthday party on Thursday and she was in great form and we had a great night,” he said.

It is understood the model collapsed during a house party in Ashbourne, Co Meath, in the early hours of Sunday morning.

She was rushed by ambulance to Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan, where relatives have maintained a vigil.

Friends of French, including former Miss Ireland Andrea Roche, have visited the hospital to offer support to her family.

A Health Service Executive (HSE) spokesperson said tonight the model remained in a serious condition.

There has been widespread speculation as to the cause of French’s sudden illness, with friends claiming she recently suffered a kidney infection.

It has been widely reported that in a recent media interview the model admitted to taking cocaine and described use of the drug as part of the Dublin social scene.

But she insisted she had stopped using the substance, warning of its dangers.

While she has been on the catwalk for years she only came to prominence after the media attention which surrounded the public break-up with her fiance, restaurateur Marcus Sweeney.

It was a launchpad that has seen her secure saturation media coverage over the last year, making her one of Ireland’s best-known models.

Mr Sweeney was among the close friends who have visited the hospital to give support to her distraught family.