British woman Judith Tebbutt, who taken hostage in Kenya and held in Somalia six months ago, has said she is "really happy" to have finally been released by her captors.
She told ITV News she was happy to be free: "I am just happy to be released and I'm looking forward to seeing my son who successfully secured my release.
"I don't know how he did it, but he did. Which is great."
The BBC broadcast footage showing Tebbutt on a beach in Somalia, being taken towards a plane.
The 56-year-old was kidnapped the Kiwayu Safari Village Kenya in September 2011, on what was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip with her husband David. He was murdered by the kidnappers, while she was taken to Somalia by men reported to be pirates.
Social worker Tebbutt, who is thought to be partially deaf and wears a hearing aid, is now on her way to Nairobi, according to reports.
The prime minister's official spokesperson said the priority was to get Tebbutt ''to a place of safety", adding that officials were standing by to provide consular care.
"We can confirm that she has been released. Our priority now is to get her to a place of safety.
"We will have more to say about that shortly. We are standing by to provide consular care as soon as she arrives in Nairobi."
Asked whether the government was aware of a ransom being paid, the spokesman said: "Our position is that we do not pay ransoms and we do not facilitate concessions to hostage-takers."
Asked whether officials had advised the family not to pay a ransom, he replied: "All I can say is that we have been in close contact throughout.
"We have obviously been providing support to the family and been in close contact with the family throughout and have been meeting regularly to discuss the case."
According to the BBC her relatives raised money to pay her ransom. Reports indicate she smiled and spoke to journalists as she left Somalia, saying she was glad to be safe.
Somali pirate Bile Hussein and Mohammed Hussein, an official with the militia Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama, said Tebbutt was released by pirates holding her on Wednesday. The Tebbutts, from Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, had arrived at the safari village in Kenya in September after visiting the Masai Mara game reserve and were the resort's only guests.
Police believed that David Tebbutt resisted and was shot. The Kiwayu Safari Village resort is 30 miles north of Lamu and consists of 18 luxury cottages spread along a private beach.
Paul Chandler, who with his wife Rachel spent 388 days in captivity after they were abducted at gunpoint by Somali pirates while sailing their yacht near the Seychelles in October 2009, told BBC News: "I hope she will have an opportunity to pick up the pieces of her life, and deal with the loss she has had."
Rachel Chandler said: "My feeling is one of relief and happiness for Judith Tebbutt and her family, that finally she is free."
Local MP Richard Harrington, from Watford, told Sky News: "Our thoughts are with Oliver [the couple's son], who must have such feelings today. Under the circumstances, he's done absolutely fantastically.
"To see his parents go on holiday, and saying he'll see them in a couple of weeks' time, in the most routine way that happens to all of us, then to find what happened to his father, and his mother, for so long whereabouts unknown, I'm sure he's got the deepest emotional feelings today, that none of us will ever experience in our lives, but I think he's conducted himself for one so young so extremely well, and I do nothing other than just commend him."
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