TV Times – 03 August 2019

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