TV Times – 03 August 2019

(Axel Boer) #1
12 TV TIMES

E


mma Willis is
flashing her famous
smile while chatting
to TV Times about her
favourite subject: babies.
Not only is The Voice UK host
a devoted mum-of-three, she’s also
completing her training to qualify
as a maternity care assistant (MCA)
for W reality series Emma Willis:
Delivering Babies, which returns
for a new eight-part run this week.
The first series saw her cleaning
beds, mopping floors and taking
blood. This time, Emma is allowed
more independence, working
across high-risk wards and in
theatre as she supports midwives at
Princess Alexandra Hospital, Essex.
This week’s episode follows
Vicky, who’s expecting twins and
undergoes an emergency C-section,
while Paige has been induced after
her baby’s movements have slowed.
Elsewhere, Josie needs Emma’s
assistance during her water birth.
Here, Emma, 43, tells us more
about her very special deliveries...

How did it feel to return to the
maternity ward?
Amazing! The first series was so
emotional for me and I wondered
whether that’d wear off

PH


OT


OS


:^ U


KT


V


Emma Willis on returning to the wards to complete


her training to qualify as a maternity care assistant


EMMA WILLIS: DELIVERING BABIES
IS PREVIEWED ON PAGES 48-

NEW REALITY


Emma Willis:
Delivering Babies
MONDAY / W / 10PM

REALITY


I was


keen to see


a water


birth


My


spe


cia


l^


deli


very


!


the more times I’d see a birth, but it
doesn’t. It was still overwhelming
because witnessing a baby come
into the world is incredible.

Did you remember your training?
Not really! When it came to taking
blood again, I felt I couldn’t just
stab someone! What if I did it wrong,
or didn’t clean it properly? If you’ve
not done it for a while, you panic.

What was the biggest challenge
for you this time?
I worked on the neonatal unit,
and had to learn to insert an NG
[nasogastric] tube so babies could
be tube-fed. I was told to put the
tube up the baby’s nose and then it
should go down into its tummy. It’s
not that simple! My daughter had
to have a tube inserted after birth
and watching somebody do it was
hard. So for me to have to do it to
another child was all sorts of wrong.

You were thrown back in at
the deep end, then?
I spent a few weeks with an MCA
brushing up before they let me go

solo. I also got to do a lot more
theatre running this time, but I was
keen to see a water birth, as it was
the only thing I hadn’t ticked off
last series, and it happened on my
third day, when Josie came in.

Were the mums surprised to see
a TV star on the ward?
They were more surprised to see
me doing the job rather than me
pretending for telly. A few women
saw me mopping and said, ‘Oh, you
are actually doing it!’ I also found
a big bowl of vomit in one woman’s
room, and when I told her to give it
to me, she was like, ‘Er, really?’

Your mum, Cathy, was an
auxiliary nurse. What does she
think of the series?
She’s been so supportive – she loves
it. After filming, I would come
home and say, ‘I put an NG tube
in today,’ and she’d be shocked
because the role’s changed so much
since she was a nurse.

Would you do the job full-time?
It could be my back-up plan! I love
that environment but it’s hard
work. A lot of it is cleaning beds
and answering buzzers, but I enjoy
that. In fact, I’d do anything,
including cleaning up puke!

If someone went into labour now,
would you know what to do?
I’d be able to assist, but deliver a
baby? No! I’d like to think I’d be
cool as a cucumber, but maybe I’d
go into a blind panic. I’d know how
to pick up a phone and dial 999!
REBECCA MAHONEY
Back on the ward:
Emma with, from
left, Katie, Ying
and Janelle
Free download pdf