Good Morning Britain presenters Susanna Reid and Ed Balls were left stunned as their co-star Dr Hilary shared his own experience of choking and how he saved himself
The Good Morning Britain presenters were discussing Shirley Ballas’ scare (Image: ITV)
Good Morning Britain hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls were left alarmed after their co-star Dr Hilary Jones recounted his own harrowing choking experience.
Following reports that Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas had a “terrifying” incident moments before Saturday’s live show in Blackpool where she struggled to breathe, Dr Hilary demonstrated the Heimlich manoeuvre on Ed to show viewers the potentially life-saving technique.
However, before the demonstration, he shared his own frightening brush with death involving a piece of quiche, which forced him to throw himself against a wall to dislodge the obstruction.
When Susanna questioned Dr Hilary about how this could have occurred after Shirley swallowed a fish bone, the medical expert clarified: “It’s usually something more solid than that, air would normally pass by a fish bone, so it’s normally something more solid.
Dr Hilary shared his own near-fatal experience (Image: ITV)
“When it happened to me, I was at a dinner party and struggling with a piece of quiche stuck in my windpipe,” reports Wales Online.
“Nobody why I was doing this [demonstrates with his hands around his throat], and I was the medic, so I stood up and threw myself backwards against the wall.
“Which was the equivalent of a back thrust, it worked, I’m still here!”
Susanna Reid was left visibly shocked (Image: ITV)
He continued: “But normally, if someone is choking, they cannot breathe, they cannot cough, and they cannot speak.
“Often this happens when you’re talking to someone at the table, and you’re talking at the same time as breathing.”
This comes after Shirley explained on her Instagram that she was saved by her hairstylist Jane.
Dr Hilary demonstrated the Heimlich manoeuvre on Ed Balls (Image: ITV)
She told her Instagram followers: “I choked on a fishbone. It got lodged in my throat, and my wonderful Jane, who has been with me for nine years, did the Heimlich manoeuvre, and we got the bone out.
“But for 20 minutes there, it was lodged and I couldn’t breathe, so it was terrifying.”
She added: “We’d have been a judge down tonight if it wasn’t for her.”
Shirley Ballas revealed she suffered a “terrifying” choking incident behind-the-scenes(Image: BBC)
“I’m a bit hoarse, but all is good,” Shirley reassured fans.
Vowing to learn the Heimlich manoeuvre herself, she added: “I’m going to study now in case I ever come across anybody who needs my help.”
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1 and ITVX.