Emmerdale actor Kevin Mathurin has revealed he recently suffered a heart attack and was taken to hospital after weeks of stress and ignored symptoms.
The 53-year-old, who has played vicar Charles Anderson on the ITV soap since 2020, shared the news on Instagram, telling followers he had been "suppressing" a lot of issues and ended up in A&E on doctor's orders.
Stress and a blocked artery
Mathurin wrote: "I was under a lot of stress and pressure. External issues were taking over my well being. I was anxious, stressed, always angry and suppressing it all. Not dealing with things head on. I'd also lost a really good friend to cancer and was upset that I couldn't make his funeral due to work commitments."
He described feeling pains in his ribs and arms for a week, but continued filming, working out and travelling to be with family. It was his wife Nikki who urged him to book an ECG scan, after which his doctor told him to go straight to A&E.
In hospital, an angiogram revealed a blocked artery that had damaged part of his heart, causing abnormal heartbeat, heart failure and a minor heart attack. He did not need stents, instead relying on medication, exercise and a healthy diet.
Time to reset priorities
While staying at King's Hospital in London, Mathurin said he had time to think and "reset, reevaluate my priorities." He now wants to see his children grow up, spend quality time with Nikki and family, value his friends, and be a reliable work colleague with gratitude for his career.
Fans offered support in the comments, with one writing: "So glad you made it out the other side! Keep at it. We have one life." Another said: "Listen to your body and of course your wife. Seriously though stay strong and thankyou for sharing your story."
Mathurin, who had a significant theatre career before joining Emmerdale, said the experience "kick-started a total reboot" on his outlook on people, places and things.
