Emma Willis, the 49-year-old television presenter, has opened up about her recent experience with heart surgery, revealing that she had unknowingly lived with a congenital condition for 49 years. In a candid interview, Willis shared how the shocking diagnosis and subsequent surgery affected her both physically and mentally.
Last month, Willis disclosed that she underwent keyhole heart surgery to correct a previously undiagnosed hole in her heart. Speaking to The Sun, she described the moment she learned about her condition as a "head scramble." "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," she explained.
Despite the surgery being minimally invasive, not requiring her chest to be opened, Willis admitted that the recovery process has been more challenging than she anticipated. "It’s been a smooth recovery," she stated, but added that the mental adjustment has proven to be far more difficult. "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," she said.
Willis’s husband, pop star Matt Willis, has been a source of support during her recovery. She praised him for helping her with breath work techniques to manage her anxiety, which flared up at times during her healing process. "Any kind of weirdness with it send you a bit panicky, but I’ve got a good little coach here on breath work and wellness," she noted.
In addition to her health journey, Emma and Matt Willis are set to star in a new BBC series titled Change Your Mind, Change Your Life. The show aims to delve into real therapy sessions with members of the public, exploring various mental health issues. Emma emphasized the importance of communication in relationships, reflecting on her own experiences with couple's therapy. "We weren’t even really in a place where [we needed it], our marriage was great already. It’s about communication, which sounds really basic, especially when you’ve been with someone for twenty years," she said.
This is the first time Emma has spoken in detail about the emotional impact of her surgery since first revealing her health scare in April 2025. Her openness about the psychological challenges of recovery resonates with many who have faced similar medical experiences.
Emma Willis’s story serves as a reminder of the often unseen struggles that accompany physical health issues. While she has made a smooth physical recovery, the emotional journey continues as she learns to navigate life with a newly functioning heart.
As she embarks on this new chapter, both in her personal life and career, Emma hopes to inspire others to prioritize their mental health alongside their physical well-being. Her candid reflections on her surgery and recovery process highlight the importance of seeking support and maintaining open lines of communication in relationships.
In a world where health issues can often be hidden beneath the surface, Emma Willis’s experience sheds light on the importance of awareness and understanding. Her journey is not just about healing physically but also about embracing the mental adjustments that come with major life changes.
As she continues to share her story, Emma Willis stands as an advocate for mental health, encouraging others to seek help when needed and to communicate openly with their loved ones.
