She had previously thanked well-wishers when posting a photo of the Fairytale Of New York singer in a hospital bed earlier this week.

MacGowan, 65, is believed to have been in intensive care for the past few months after he was diagnosed with viral encephalitis last year.

It is a serious condition where the brain becomes inflamed. It can be life-threatening and requires urgent treatment in hospital.

On Friday, his wife, Irish journalist Victoria Mary Clarke, said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was "feeling much better".

She also said she was "so grateful to everyone who is willing him to get home for Christmas".

Ms Clarke, 57, said in an Instagram post on Saturday that she was "facing terrifying fears of loss".

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."

"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," she added.

The couple married in 2018 at Copenhagen City Hall in Denmark after more than 32 years together.

Ms Clarke previously revealed MacGowan's bandmates Spider Stacy and Terry Woods had visited him recently.

The singer has faced several health issues in recent years.

In 2015, MacGowan broke his pelvis and has used a wheelchair since.

Six years later, he broke his knee in a fall before tearing ligaments in his left leg.

He never fully recovered from his injuries and confirmed in April that he "can't walk anymore".

MacGowan has also been open about his battle with addiction.

In 2015, he received a full set of teeth implants as his real teeth were destroyed by decades of drinking and drug use.