Love Island star Jack Fowler has claimed “complete negligence” during an Emirates flight to Dubai left him with the “real possibility of dying” after suffering an allergic reaction on the plane.
He said he made the flight attendant aware of his nut allergy twice before he was given a chicken curry which saw his throat “immediately” close up and his breathing become “extremely difficult”.
“I wasn’t given a menu to chose from, instead I was asked directly if I wanted chicken or fish. I opted for the chicken. When I asked for the chicken I told the air-host that I’m severely allergic to all nuts,” he told his one million Instagram followers in a post.
“I was then told that there was no nuts in the chicken curry. When I received the meal I asked the same flight attendant again to make sure, and again was told that it does not have nuts included. Trusting my flight attendant I began to eat the chicken curry.
“Immediately my throat closed up and breathing became extremely difficult.”
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Fowler, who starred in ITV’s Love Island in 2018, claimed he was served a curry which contained cashew nuts.
The 28-year-old said he told the flight attendant he “couldn’t breathe” and said he asked again if there were nuts in the food and was told again there were none.
He said it was only when his friend demanded to see the food menu that he realised he had eaten a “creamy cashew nut chicken curry”.
“This left me with the real possibility of dying on the plane as I knew I needed emergency treatment immediately,” he said.
“I was given five tanks of oxygen, as well as administering my adrenaline pen (Epi Pen).
“I told the flight supervisor ‘If you don’t land this plane soon, I will die on this plane’. This then lead to the pilot speeding up the journey.
“Once we landed I was rushed into Dubai’s airport hospital where I continued treatment.”
Fowler administering his adrenaline pen (Epi Pen) on the plane. Pic: Jack Fowler/Instagram
Fowler recovering in hospital in Dubai. Pic: Jack Fowler/Instagram
Fowler shared several pictures of himself on the flight receiving treatment, tagging the Emirates airline in the post in which he said “it is not good enough”.
“I could have died on my flight. Complete negligence from your air host, put me in this state,” Fowler said on his Instagram story.
“Telling me your food doesn’t contain nuts when it does. What’s it going to take until people take food allergies seriously.”
In the post, the reality star and DJ warned all airlines more needed to be done to protect those with severe dietary requirements.
“We board your flights and trust the cabin crew to aid us in a safe flight. Take more care,” he added.
The Emirates website says the airline “can’t guarantee our meals are nut free” and that “we serve nuts on all our flights, either as a meal ingredient or as an accompaniment to drinks”.
It adds: “Other passengers may also bring food on board that contains nuts, and traces of nut residue could be passed on to other surfaces of the aircraft as well as through the air conditioning system.
“If you have a nut allergy, we recommend discussing your travel plans with your doctor before you fly and please contact your local Emirates office.”
Sky News has contacted Emirates for comment.