Emma Willis details her 'scary' surgery after doctors found 'bizarre' hole in her heart during check-up
Emma Willis has opened up about undergoing heart surgery earlier this year, calling the procedure 'pretty scary'.
The much-loved presenter, 49, took a trip to the doctors in January after experiencing an increasing number of heart palpitations.
Following a scan, Emily was shocked to hear she'd been living with an undiagnosed hole in her heart for her entire life 'which she had no about'.
She had keyhole surgery to fill the hole in March at London's Royal Brompton Hospital, only making the news public a few weeks later in an Instagram post.
Now, Emma has opened up about the surgery during an appearance on Heart Breakfast.
Speaking with Amanda Holden, 54, and Jamie Theakston, 54, The Voice host said: 'That is pretty scary (hearing about the heart issue).
'You find these things that are happening in your body that you didn't know about. It was really bizarre.
'I found out in January and by March I was in on the table and having a little device fitted to fill a hole that I never knew excited. I've had it my whole life and just had no idea.'
She added: 'I always had palpitations, but kind of fitting with what was happening in my life. So, if I was a bit stressed or if I'd had a night. I kind of always had them.
'But for the last couple of years, I've been having them more and more and they got to a point where it was quite a lot. I also have high cholesterol, which is why I was referred to a cardiologist.
'So, it wasn't even for that, and when I got there the doctor said, "actually, it's okay, but there is something going on with your heart and I want to check it out!"'
Emma was then asked about the device she had fitted, to which she replied: 'It's a soft metal device, basically.
'It kind of looks a bit like this strange covering on these leads (in the studio), and they stretch it really flat and put it in a cannula.
'They then go through your groin, straight into your heart and it pops out of one side of the hole, and then they put it through the other and it seals the gap. The tissue then grows around it for three to six months and it seals.'
Sharing some promising news, Emma revealed that since she underwent surgery the palpitations have eased - though she admitted they may never stop completely.
Emma had candidly opened up about the aftermath of the procedure last month, saying she had been left 'really anxious and nervous' in the weeks following surgery.
The 49-year-old told The Sun: 'It's a bit of a head scramble when you find out something like that, that you've had something there your whole life, and you had no idea about it.
'I'm a brilliant overthinker, and my mind will go in every possible direction and scenario, so going into something like surgery, I really got myself at it, I get really anxious and nervous.'
Speaking about her recovery, the 49-year-old continued: 'It's been a smooth recovery, it's been much more of a psychological adjustment, because you don't have a wound that you can see. The healing is all internal and you can't feel it.
'It's getting your head around the fact that your heart has to learn how to work in a different way to how it's worked for nearly half a century.'
Luckily for Emma, her husband Matt, 41, has been by her side throughout the whole experience and she noted that the Busted star has 'coached her through breath work and wellness'.
She made her return to television for the first time since the surgery last month, featuring in the BBC series Change Your Mind, Change Your Life.
The four-part series, which is thought to have been filmed before her surgery, sees Matt and Emma navigate life's challenges together.
Their decision to appear on the show came after the Busted star opened up about his own issues with addiction, which Emma had spoken about in her own interviews.
Ahead of the BBC series' release last month, Emma said: 'Therapy has played a huge role in both of our lives, not just individually but as a couple too.
'It's given us the tools to understand ourselves and each other better, and we know firsthand how powerful that can be.
'With this documentary series we'll hear from incredible experts and see what really happens in the therapy room, to help break down the stigma and start conversations.
'Asking for help is never a weakness; it's one of the bravest things you can do.'
Change Your Mind, Change Your Life, released on BBC and BBC iPlayer last month.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Women who don't come forward for cervical cancer screening to be offered home tests
Women who don't come forward for cervical cancer screening will be offered home-testing kits as part of the government's new 10-year health plan. The Department of Health and Social Care has said the initiative aims to "revolutionise" cervical cancer prevention rates by helping overcome barriers that prevent some women from having potentially life-saving screenings. This can include a fear of discomfort, embarrassment, cultural sensitives and the struggle to find time for medical appointments. Cervical screening, sometimes referred to as a smear test, is a test to check the health of the cervix and help prevent cervical cancer. The NHS offers it to women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 64 - with those aged between 25 to 49 invited for the checks every three years, and 50 to 64-year-olds every five years. However, the government has said participation in cervical cancer screening currently sits at just 68.8% - well below the NHS England target of 80%. This means more than five million women in England are not up to date with their routine check-up. Experts have now said sending home-testing kits to those who don't attend their check-ups could increase participation in the screening programme that saves approximately 5,000 lives a year across England. The self-sample kits will be offered to women who have rarely or never attended their cervical screening. It will then be sent out in "discreet packaging" that can be returned via prepaid mail. The self-sample method tests only for the presence of the human papillomavirus (HPV), a group of viruses that can lead to cervical cancer. Anyone testing positive for HPV through self-sampling will be encouraged to attend a clinician-taken follow-up cervical screening test to check for cervical cell changes. The initiative is part of the government's "10-year health plan", which is due to be published in the coming weeks. A woman named only as Gem, who was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2015, said: "I've been cancer-free for years now, but I still live with the aftermath of my diagnosis. I hope that one day we live in a world where cervical cancer is eliminated. With advances in vaccines and screening, I believe that day is getting ever closer. "For many, though, there are barriers to attending screening. Our everyday lives are busy juggling jobs, family life, and more, which can make attending appointments difficult. But feelings of embarrassment, fear, or unease can also prevent people from going. "Making it easier for people to access screening they can do at home removes some of those barriers and will, I'm sure, save lives." 2:23 Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: "These self-sampling kits represent healthcare that works around people's lives, not the other way around. They put women firmly in control of their own health, ensuring we catch more cancers at their earliest, most treatable stages. "Our 10-year health plan will fundamentally reform the NHS, shifting focus from treating illness to preventing it before it starts. "We know the earlier cancer is diagnosed the better the chances are of survival. By making screening more convenient, we're tackling the barriers that keep millions of women from potentially life-saving tests." Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: "Screening is a powerful tool to prevent cervical cancer and save lives, but we know it isn't always easy for everyone to take part. "For some, the test may seem uncomfortable, embarrassing, or simply hard to fit into their lives. That's why we welcome the UK government's decision to roll out cervical cancer home screening kits in England - to help remove barriers and make cervical screening more accessible."
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Big fall in support for struggling families in England, charity says
Community support for struggling families in England has declined significantly over the past 15 years, with data revealing that the availability of specialist children's services has plummeted by over a third. The number of family hubs and children's centres in England has reduced by more than a third since 2009, while spending on centres was cut by almost £1.4bn between 2010/11 and 2023/24, according to freedom of information data compiled from 108 local authorities by the charity Barnardo's. Access varies according to region in a 'postcode lottery of support', the charity said. Over the same period, child poverty levels have risen by more than 15% to include over a third of children, with growing numbers struggling with their mental health, lacking basic life skills, and entering the care system, the charity said. Lynn Perry, the chief executive of Barnardo's, said: 'Family hubs offer a safe, welcoming space where parents and children can access vital support. 'At their best, these centres are a local 'nerve centre' where parents can come for a 'stay and play' session, and in the same familiar and welcoming environment receive help with breastfeeding, talk to a health visitor, receive support with speech and language, attend a parenting course, and even access highly specialist help with issues such as domestic abuse and substance abuse for those who need it. 'Evidence also shows that family hubs, by getting to families with support before they reach crisis point, also have a long-term financial benefit to the country.' Family hubs are rooted in Labour's Sure Start programme, which began in the 1990s, and help families before they reach crisis point, providing services including pregnancy and breastfeeding support, child developmental health clinics, mental health support, advice on online safety or knife crime, and support for addiction and domestic abuse. Recent UCL research found that one in four children in England needed social care services by the time they turned 18 as a result of funding cuts to preventive and early support services, including children's centres. Barnardo's is calling on the government to include a commitment in its forthcoming child poverty strategy to develop a network of 3,500 centres across England. The charity's report analysed two parenting programmes at the Sandwell family hub in the West Midlands. It showed that for every £1 spent on one programme, it brought benefits to the public purse worth £3.82, while the other delivered £2.44 for every £1 spent. Parents who shared their stories with Barnardo's said they had benefited from soft play sessions, which gave their children access to toys and experiences they couldn't afford, support for postnatal depression, and parent networks that provided mutual advice. Mellissa Gaskin, a service manager at Ladywood family hub in the West Midlands, said one of the benefits of family hubs was that 'families can get support for multiple issues without having to repeat their story to multiple professionals'. As an example, she said a child at a play session might have language development needs identified. 'This means they get earlier intervention than if they had to wait for an issue to be identified and referred later on,' she said. The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said: 'The support offered through the Family Hubs programme is a lifeline for so many families – but with a third of those on the lowest incomes still struggling to get the support they need, I know the system we've inherited does not go far enough. 'We've already taken vital steps to back families through the government-funded childcare rollout, free breakfast clubs and free school meals for every child on universal credit, but we won't stop there. We will carefully consider all available evidence and research as we develop our plans for reform so that every family, regardless of background, can benefit from high-quality, joined-up support.'
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Noise pollution harms health of millions across Europe, report finds
More than 110 million people across Europe suffer high levels of health-damaging noise pollution, according to a report. The resulting physiological stress and sleep disturbance leads to 66,000 early deaths a year and many cases of heart disease, diabetes and depression. The report, from the European Environment Agency (EEA), focuses on noise from cars, trains and aeroplanes and found that 20% of the population of the European Economic Area (EEA) were affected. Separate research, using a slightly lower threshold for dangerous noise pollution, found that 40% of the UK population were exposed to harmful transport noise. Seventeen million people endure particularly high noise pollution – 'long-term, high-annoyance' – and almost 5 million suffer 'severe' sleep disturbance. Fifteen million children live in areas of harmful noise. The harm to health from noise is greater than that from higher-profile risks including secondhand tobacco smoke or lead exposure, and incurs an economic cost of almost €100bn (£86bn) a year, the analysis found. The damage to health is likely to be an underestimate, the researchers said. Using the World Health Organization's stricter threshold for risky noise pollution gives an estimate of 150 million people across Europe exposed. The EU's target to cut the number of people chronically disturbed by transport noise by 30% by 2030 will not be met without further action, the researchers said. 'Noise pollution impacts our health by keeping our bodies in a constant state of fight or flight, even if we don't consciously realise it,' said Dr Eulalia Peris at the EEA. 'This can lead to harmful physiological responses such as inflammation and oxidative stress, and over time, this increases the risk of various health issues, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, obesity, cognitive impairment in children and mental health problems.' 'Noise pollution is not only an annoyance,' added Peris, who has been affected herself. 'My God, yes. I'm very aware of the impacts of noise pollution, and I'm very sensitive to it. It limits your life.' The report is based on data reported by EEA countries on transport noise, which is the most widespread and significant type of noise pollution. Other kinds, such as loud neighbours and music from bars, are also likely to damage health but are difficult to measure because of their intermittency. The report found 92 million people across Europe were harmed by road transport noise, 18 million by railway noise and 2.6 million by aircraft noise. Published research on the health impact of noise pollution was used to estimate an annual toll of 66,000 premature deaths, 50,000 cases of cardiovascular diseases and 22,000 cases of type 2 diabetes. The number of people in Europe affected by noise fell by only 3% between 2017 and 2022, but the researchers said numerous measures could be taken. Cutting speed limits for vehicles in urban areas and boosting the use of low-noise tyres would cut road traffic noise, they said, as would promoting public transport, walking and cycling. The increasing number of electric cars will reduce noise less than might be expected, the researchers said, because the key source of noise at lower speeds is from the contact between the tyres and the road, not the engine. Traffic noise is also dominated by a small number of very loud vehicles. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion Railway noise could be cut by better maintenance of trains and track, and aircraft noise could be reduced by optimising landing and takeoff patterns and encouraging the introduction of quieter planes. 'Noise pollution is often overlooked, considered just an annoyance of everyday life,' said the EEA's executive director, Leena Ylä-Mononen. One reason for this is that transport noise pollution is chronic, unlike air pollution which has peaks that lead to health alerts and raise awareness. 'However, long-term impacts of noise on our health and environment are widespread and significant,' she said. 'Children are also particularly vulnerable to the effects of noise, and it's a problem all countries need to address urgently.'
