Emma Willis has made her first public appearance after revealing she recently underwent surgery to correct a hole in her heart.
The TV presenter, 49, stunned on the red carpet at the Bafta TV Craft Awards nominees’ party at London’s V&A Museum, just a day after she told fans about the health scare that led to keyhole surgery.
Emma said she spent 48 years “blissfully unaware” of the heart condition, only discovering it recently before undergoing treatment.
Her husband, Busted star Matt Willis, 41, was by her side during the operation and joined her at the event, marking her return to the spotlight.
The couple arrived in matching black suits, with Emma looking radiant in a cropped top and embroidered blazer while Matt kept it classic in a sharp suit and open black shirt.
Emma had shared the news of her condition just 24 hours earlier, reassuring fans that she was recovering well.
The former host of Big Brother was treated at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London and said her husband “never left my side”.
On Wednesday, she shared a selection of photos to her Instagram, including one of her in a hospital bed with wires attached to her chest.
She wrote: “A big humongous THANK YOU to the team at the Royal Brompton Hospital for their care and support.
“A few weeks ago, I had keyhole heart surgery, which feels very strange to write, and even stranger when I say it out loud.
“From investigations last year, to diagnosis and then surgery, they were absolutely incredible. As was @mattjwillis who never left my side.
“Turns out, I’ve been pottering around for 48 years blissfully unaware I had a hole in my heart isn’t it bonkers what’s happening in our bodies that we have no idea about…
“What blows my mind even more is the wonders of modern medicine, and the spectacular people that save, fix and help us every single day.”
She also thanked her surgeon, who “was recommended as ‘a spectacular pair of hands’”.
Keyhole heart surgery, also called minimally invasive surgery or endoscopic surgery, is carried out through small incisions in the chest, and the technique has been pioneered at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals, according to the Guy’s And St Thomas’ Specialist Care website.
In 2024 Willis and her husband presented the show Swiped: The School That Banned Smartphones, which saw the couple stop using their smartphones for 21 days along with pupils at a school in Essex.
She is also known for hosting The Voice UK, The Circle, and Love Is Blind: UK.
