‘He’s a fighter, through and through’ – Holly Willoughby had words of encouragement for Archie Battersbee's parents as the fight to keep him on life support.

The 12-year-old boy is at the centre of a High Court life-support treatment dispute after suffering brain damage are waiting for a judge’s ruling.

Archie’s parents, Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee, from Southend, say the youngster’s heart is still beating and want treatment to continue.

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Appearing on ITV This Morning Ms Dance opened up on the family’s fight to keep his care going.

With the family now waiting until Monday for the judge’s ruling, Holly Willoughby expressed her best wishes.

“How hard it must be for a stranger to decide the fate of your son. Sitting by your son’s bedside is the most important thing because you don’t know how much time is left,” she said.

The 41-year-old presenter added: “He is a fighter, through and through.”

He co-presenter Phillip Schofield added: You did everything you possibly could, you rushed him to hospital to get help.

“This must be so hard. It all seems so horribly brutal.”

Doctors treating Archie Battersbee at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, think the youngster is “brain-stem dead”.

They say life-support treatment should end and the youngster should be disconnected from a ventilator.