Emma Willis revealed the lifelong impact of undergoing heart surgery as she shared an emotional health update live on Tuesday’s episode of Lorraine. 

The 49-year-old and husband Matt, 42, appeared on the sofa to chat to host Lorraine Kelly, 65, about their new show Change Your Mind, Change Your Life… with Matt & Emma Willis. 

The conversation soon turned to Emma’s recent keyhole heart surgery, which she underwent in April after doctors found a hole in her heart.

Lorraine told her: ‘We were worried about you, obviously, the best thing you did was to put that online so you saw you were going through this heart operation, but you were okay! You didn’t even know…’

Emma said: ‘I found out in January – I’ve had it my whole life.’ 

She continued: ‘Thank you for the kindness online.

Emma Willis reveals lifelong impact of undergoing heart surgery as she shares emotional health update live on Lorraine

The 49-year-old appeared on the sofa to chat to host Lorraine Kelly, 65, (pictured) about her new show Change Your Mind, Change Your Life… with Matt & Emma Willis

Earlier this month Emma revealed she has ‘terrible anxiety’ as she opened up about her ‘psychological recovery’ following her heart surgery

‘I genuinely just wanted to thank the hospital, they had been so amazing and everyone that looked after me, they were great. 

‘The amount of people since said that happened to me, and I found out after having a stroke.

‘That kind of really makes you realise, actually, “oh that’s what I could have been dealing with”.

‘So I was so lucky.’ 

Lorraine asked: ‘It was kind of a routine check-up thing wasn’t it?’

Emma explained: ‘I had um… my doctor… I’ve got really high cholesterol.’

As she continued, she giggled: ‘It’s getting very into my medical history. 

‘They said “Go see a cardiologist”. 

Emma appeared on Lorraine alongside her husband Matt Willis, 42, as they spoke about Emma’s health

Read More Emma Willis reveals she had heart surgery

‘I was like, “okay, I did, I had an MRI last year on my heart,” and he was like “one side of it is enlarged, and that’s not okay”.

‘And he from there went on…

‘I’ve got a metal plug in it and its ticking still which is great.’ 

It comes after earlier this month revealed she has ‘terrible anxiety’ as she opened up about her ‘psychological recovery’ following her heart surgery.  

Following on from the operation, Emma 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.’

The keyhole surgery meant Emma avoided an open-heart recovery and she revealed her recovery has been ‘smooth’ but she has had to learn to adjust.  

She 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.

Matt and Emma started dating in 2005 and they tied the knot in 2008. They share three kids Isabelle, Ace and Trixie 

‘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.’

Back in April Emma told fans she discovered she has had a hole in her heart since she was born and so had surgery at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London. 

Keyhole heart surgery involves making small incisions in the chest as opposed to the breastbone as in traditional open heart surgery.

In a lengthy post, Emma thanked her husband Matt and the staff at the Royal Brompton Hospital who looked after her.  

She wrote: ‘A big humungous 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.

‘Can you imagine what it must feel like to have a pair of hand that can do that job?! They are the real superstars… ⭐️

‘A few of those people are Dr Alexander Lyon who investigated like a true super sleuth Professor Wei Li, echocardiogram extraordinaire. Catrina, Carl and Tim who kept me at ease and humoured me when they were putting me to sleep.

‘Marcus, Janet, Jayne, Hannah and Reem who monitored me at various points. Paulette, who was always up for a chat, gave great hugs, and loves a cinnamon slice as much as I do!

‘There was a lovely woman with me in recovery but I was so out of it I can’t remember her name (so so sorry) and my surgeon, Dr Ee Ling Heng… She was recommended as ‘a spectacular pair of hands’, but my god, shes that and so much more. 

‘She has an ease and warmth that made me feel instantly comfortable all whilst being incredible professional and informative. I ask a million questions, and she answered them with the patience of a saint.

‘I knew as soon as we met that she was the woman I wanted poking around in my heart. Thank you Ee Ling, you’re one in a trillion.’

Lorraine airs weekdays from 9am on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX.