BBC Commentator Recounts Heart Attack Scare, Thanks Former Player for Aid
Rob Phillips experienced severe chest pains immediately following a live football commentary, crediting former player Nathan Blake for his quick actions.
BBC commentator Rob Phillips has described a frightening experience where he suffered chest pains and realized he might be having a heart attack. The incident occurred immediately after he finished commentating on a Championship match at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
Phillips was with former Cardiff City player Nathan Blake providing commentary for the game, which saw Cardiff lose after a 90th-minute header from Thierry Gale. After the match and completing post-match interviews, Phillips began experiencing severe chest pains as he returned to the press box.
"I said to Nath 'I'll be fine now', but he told me I'd lost all my colour," Phillips recounted. Blake, who had played 131 times for Cardiff City and earned 29 caps for Wales, recognized the seriousness of Phillips' condition. Phillips noted that Blake's actions were influenced by his mother's nurse training, who had always advised him to call an ambulance if someone lost color.
Despite initially joking with Blake and the Bolton club doctor, Phillips was informed, "Rob, I can't be sure, but I think you're having a heart attack." Within an hour of this diagnosis, Phillips was undergoing a procedure with doctors working to unblock an artery.
Phillips, who also played for clubs including Sheffield United, Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers, and Wolves, is now recovering. He credited Blake's swift recognition and intervention for potentially saving his life.