Strictly Come Dancing presenter Emma Willis has revealed she was rushed to hospital after passing out while filming a medical documentary. The 50-year-old collapsed while watching a post-birth operation and was taken to A&E for full checks.
Collapse during theatre visit
Emma, who previously trained as a maternity care assistant for months while filming the 2018 Channel 4 docuseries Emma Willis: Delivering Babies, continued to work full shifts at the hospital after the series concluded. She told a member of staff, “Oh, I’m not sure. I don’t feel okay,” before adding: “They just ushered me towards the back door of the theatre.
“As I got out there I just went... [One of the team] said: ‘I just saw you going.’ She just slid me down [to the floor].”
Waking up in A&E
When she regained consciousness, Emma was stunned to find herself in a hospital bed but struggled to understand she was in A&E. “I woke up and, funnily enough, the first thing I saw was a pair of Crocs. I remember it as clear as day when I was out,” she said.
“I was at school picking my daughter up. When I came around, I was like, 'What am I doing here? I thought I was at school picking my daughter up. Why am I in a hospital? Why am I looking at Crocs? Why am I on the floor?' And then it all kind of came back.”
Full checks and embarrassment
The BBC presenter added: “Because I passed out I had to get full checks so they sent me to A&E. I was so embarrassed. They took my bloods. Then they took me back down then they put me on an ECG to make sure everything was alright.”
Fortunately for Emma, who was admittedly “mortified” following the incident, the hospital staff saw the funny side. “But I tell you what, they all bloody laughed at me. ‘Oh, she passed out in theatre! She couldn’t handle it!’” she said.
The presenter filmed four series of the show across various hospitals in the UK from 2018 to 2024. Emma will join her co-stars Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe for the Strictly results show which airs tonight.
