Emma Barnett has returned to presenting BBC Radio 4's Today programme after taking several weeks off to recover from surgery for endometriosis. The 41-year-old presenter revealed on air that she had undergone a hysterectomy and had her gallbladder removed.
Barnett stated that she was taken to hospital shortly after completing filming for her BBC Two documentary, "Fighting Endometriosis." By the time the documentary aired, she was hospitalized and only able to watch the final ten minutes of the program following a five-hour surgery.
"In a case of life imitating work, being held to account by my own film there," Barnett said, addressing her absence. "So yes, [I've] been recuperating, shall we say, from surgery for endometriosis and a hysterectomy to boot."
Her co-host, Justin Webb, welcomed her back, saying she was "very welcome back."
In a Substack post, Barnett elaborated that her endometriosis symptoms worsened significantly in the last two weeks of filming the documentary, which began seven months prior. Initially, she had been determined to manage her condition without further surgery, preferring to use natural hormones. She described the procedure as "major surgery" that was "frightening and a hard recovery."
She began experiencing new symptoms, including severe nausea, loss of appetite, and an inability to eat. Barnett also shared that her gallbladder was removed, a condition discovered via an ultrasound scan during the final scene filming for the documentary.
Barnett had presented the Today programme the Monday before attending a film screening. Days later, she answered questions from colleague Naga Munchetty about the documentary. By the weekend, she was hospitalized, describing her condition as having "practically crawled" into the hospital. After 11 weeks of recovery, during which she was largely confined to her bed or sofa, she returned to the radio.
Barnett called the recovery period "one of the most humbling experiences of my life." While still healing, she expressed gratitude for the procedure, despite having initially wished to avoid it.
Previously, Barnett has spoken about her IVF journey, which was undertaken after her endometriosis diagnosis prevented natural conception. She and her husband, Jeremy Weil, welcomed a son via IVF in 2018 and a daughter in January 2023, following six rounds of fertility treatment and a miscarriage in early 2022. She described their daughter's successful conception on their sixth and final attempt as "eerily ironic."