Shirlie Kemp took to Instagram to share she's been in hospital, undergoing surgery for a condition she's had since childhood.
Martin Kemp's wife took to Instagram to share details of her operation, posting a lengthy explanation alongside a beautiful photo of herself.
"As some of you may have seen I recently had to have ligament replacement in my ankle.," Shirlie began. "The main reason being is that I’m hypermobile and it’s so easy to damage your joints and ligaments."
Explaining why she had to have the operation, the 61-year-old Masked Singer star, continued: "As a child I loved showing people how I could easily lift my feet over my head, I just thought it strange everyone else found it so difficult. I couldn’t get into yoga as I never experienced what a stretch felt like as I was too flexible but these days it’s taken far more seriously and even linked to having higher anxiety than normal, which makes a lot of sense to me."
On how she has been advised to look after her hyper-mobility, Shirlie wrote: "They now advise not to wear high heels, which I stopped doing quite a few years ago because that is how I tore my ligaments."
Sharing her hopes for the future, Shirlie wrote: "I’m hoping my new ankle will give me a lot more support and I won’t be falling over as much as I did and look forward to having this cast off and a new appreciation of simply feeling safe when I walk."
Shirlie's fans and showbiz friends were quick to send their support, with Vanessa Feltz commenting: "Wishing you a speedy recovery sweetheart."
© Can Nguyen/ShutterstockFans commented: "Get well soon lovely, take this time to rest and look after you," and: "Get well soon Shirlie and take advantage of this relaxing time."
Another noted the link between hypermobility and anxiety, writing: "My goodness I had no idea that hypermobility was linked to anxiety. I’m joining some dots here!"
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Roman Kemp's mum has been open about her experiences with anxiety, particularly in menopause.
On Instagram she shared how her mental health has suffered, explaining that she had two years of anxiety, brought on during menopause.
"At 52 I woke up in the night feeling terrified as my heart pounded and my body was suddenly stiffening, I felt a huge rush of heat pass all over me, it was my first hot flush.
READ: Why menopause can lead to mental health issues – and what we can do about it
"I sat bolt upright thinking I was either having a heart attack or an anxiety attack as my chest had tightened so badly."
Once she knew she was experiencing symptoms of menopause, Shirlie felt more at ease with her anxiety, and we bet that knowing the condition could also be linked to her hypermobility is reassuring.
© Dave Hogan/Hogan Media/ShutterstockWe're wishing her a speedy recovery from her surgery, and hope Martin and Roman are waiting on her hand and foot!
