Emma Willis says heart issues ‘pretty scary’

By Jenny Garnsworthy, PA

TV presenter Emma Willis said her “heart has got to learn how to refunction”, after undergoing keyhole surgery.

Willis had the procedure after discovering she had a hole in her heart earlier this year.

Appearing on Heart Breakfast on Thursday, she told hosts Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden the situation had been “pretty scary”.

She said: “I found out in January and by March I was in on the table and having a little device fitted into my heart to fill a hole that I never knew existed.

“I’ve had it my whole life and just had no idea.”

The former Big Brother presenter said she had always experienced heart palpitations, but thought they were simply down to stress.

“For the past couple of years, I’ve been having them more and more, and they got to a point where it was quite a lot,” she said.

Since the surgery, which saw the hole plugged, she said the palpitations have reduced in frequency.

But she added: “I might have them forever. My heart has got to kind of learn how to refunction hole-free.”

Meanwhile, Willis, who has three children with Busted bassist Matt Willis, refused to say when questioned about which she thought was the better band out of Busted or McFly.

The two acts are due to take part in the Busted vs McFly Tour together later this year.

“The proof will be in the pudding,” Willis said.

“They’ve got a lot of dates to show who is the better band. I like to boogie to both of them.”