Lorraine star Dr Hilary has recalled how he was rushed to hospital after it was feared he was having a heart attack – and he helped to diagnosis his own condition
13:08, 20 Jan 2026Updated 13:08, 20 Jan 2026
A star from Lorraine was rushed to hospital(Image: ITV)
Lorraine star Dr Hilary was rushed to hospital after it was feared he was experiencing a heart attack. The GP explained how he was feeling ill and the paramedics rushed out to see him, with the ECG saying he was experiencing a heart attack.
However, being a medical professional himself, he decided to look through the ECG himself and they both diagnosed that he had something called pericarditis and a bit of pneumonia.
Pericarditis is the inflammation of the lining around your heart and can cause chest pain. It is quite common after suffering a viral infection such as the cold or flu, which Dr Hilary was experiencing.
Speaking on the show today, he said: “I had this virus that is going around, that everybody else seems to have had, and I had a little bit of pneumonia and pericarditis, which is the inflammation of the membrane around your heart.
Dr Hilary insists he’s doing well now(Image: ITV)
“It was quite painful, and I wasn’t sure what it was at first… but this excellent pair of paramedics came around, the ECG said I had a heart attack. I hadn’t. Then we analysed the trace together, and diagnosed pericarditis.”
The paramedics attended to him, and he was taken to hospital. He said: “They were really good. A 21-year-old guy and a slightly older lady, they were brilliant. I was blue lighted into hospital.” When Lorraine said it must have felt weird, he added: “They thought it was weird as well. It’s Dr Hilary! The hospital were great as well. They were inundated with patients but they were calm. It all got sorted.”
Dr Hilary said he was recovering well, with Lorraine admitting she was very worried. Whilst he was a regular on the ITV daytime show, due to the ITV cuts, his job role with the programme has changed.
Speaking last year, he explained: “I’m still working there until December 31, and then I’m a free agent. It’s liberating from the constraints of a news programme presenter. I’ll probably come back as a guest presenter now and then.
“People are being very sensitive to the fact that some people are having to move on. A lot of people are being redeployed elsewhere or in the same role. ITV, like everyone else, are having to make changes. I think people at work know where they stand, and many saw changes coming.”
He was also quizzed on whether he’d be having a party. He quipped: “It would be lovely if they did, but we will wait and see on that one because money is tight. Certainly, there are groups of us who feel we’re part of a family, so we will all be going out anyway, whether they pay or not. We are quite happy to dip into our own pockets.”
Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads