A beloved Lorraine star has returned to the show after undergoing major surgery. 

ITV host Lorraine gushed ‘it has been so strange without you’ as she welcomed back Dr Hilary on Thursday. 

Dr Hilary, who is a regular guest on the show, had needed an invasive procedure to correct an issue with his achilles tendon. 

Welcoming the guest back to the London studio, Lorraine said: ‘Look who’s back! Dr Hilary, he’s back! We’ve missed you.’

Dr Hilary replied: ‘Thank you, I’ve missed you too.’ 

Lorraine then referred to the ‘obvious’ reason why the medical doctor had been missing from ITV screens.

A beloved Lorraine star has returned to the show after they underwent a bout of major surgery

ITV host, Lorraine gushed ‘it has been so strange without you’ as she welcomed back Dr Hilary on Thursday

She said: ‘You can see the evidence of why you’ve not been here.’ 

Lifting his leg to reveal a medical boot, he explained: ‘Yes, there it is. It’s quite a boot isn’t it.

‘I had a little disagreement with my achilles tendon and a little boney spare at the back of my heel, so that had to be gone.’ 

The screen showed an image of his swollen foot with sтιтches in his heel as Lorraine said: ‘You’ve not been able to do anything very much, have you?’

He replied: ‘Doctors don’t make good patients, but it does remind us what it’s like to be a patient. But I’m on the mend, I feel fine, there’s no pain.

‘I come out of my heel in about two weeks. I adjust the heel height by 10 degrees every week. It’s driving me crazy, but I can actually shower myself now so that’s good.’

Lorraine added: ‘That’s good,’ as she added: ‘You’ll be able to drive soon, because you’ve not been able to drive. But you’re hobbling about.’

Dr Hilary said: ‘Yeah but it’s good to be back.’ Lorraine replied: ‘It is nice to have you back. It’s been really strange.’

Dr Hilary, who is a regular guest on the show after he needed a procedure to correct an issue with his achilles tendon

Welcoming the guest back to the London studio, Lorraine said: ‘Look who’s back! Dr Hilary, he’s back! We’ve missed you

Dr Hilary replied: ‘Thank you, I’ve missed you too.’ Lorraine then referred to the ‘obvious’ reason why the medical doctor had been missing from ITV screens

Lifting his leg to reveal a medical boot, he explained: ‘Yes, there it is. It’s quite a boot isn’t it. ‘I had a little disagreement with my achilles tendon and a little boney spare at the back of my heel, so that had to be gone’

But this is not the only issue Dr Hilary has had with his legs and feet in the past three months as he has been struck down by the ‘Victorian disease’ gout.   

Gout — a painful type of arthritis — was historically referred to as a ‘rich man’s disease’, as it is partly triggered by eating too much meat and drinking excessive alcohol.

This leads to pain, swelling, redness, and changes in the movement and use of the affected joint.

He told audiences on Lorraine: ‘Gout affects around 2.5% or one in 40 people in the UK, and men more than women. Unfortunately, this Christmas I was one of them.

‘The prevalence of gout has been steadily increasing over the last century and is forecast to increase further by more than 70% in the next 30 years largely due to an ageing population.’

He suffered all the classic symptoms of the condition, including discoloured nails and joint pain that would worsen at night and chronic fatigue.