Fern Britton has had a shoulder replacement after suffering months of pain.
The TV presenter, 66, revealed last year that she was suffering from arthritis and was awaiting surgery to ‘fix the problem’.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, the mother of four revealed she had finally gone under the knife, sharing a selfie from the hospital with her arm in a sling.
She captioned the post: “Morning everyone!! shoulder replacement done and a success. I can’t thank the staff at #StMichaels #NHS Hospital in Hayle, Cornwall enough.
‘Such care and kindness. At home, Barbara wears her doctor’s uniform and takes care of me all the time…. She mainly tells me it’s time for her breakfast, elves, lunch, tea, dinner… (sic).”
On the mend: Fern Britton, 66, revealed in an Instagram post on Tuesday that she has had a shoulder replacement after arthritis caused constant pain for months
Fern praised her supportive friends and daughters for their help and care, adding: ‘Thank you to my friends Jane, Two Cups, Double C and my lovely girls Grace and Winnie. I am very lucky!
“See you later… if I can train my left hand to put on a little lippy without looking like The Joker.” And if you are in a similar situation, sending my love. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ (sic).”
During shoulder replacement surgery, the shoulder joint is replaced by an artificial joint. You can undergo a full or partial shoulder replacement.
The surgery is performed to help with damage to the shoulder joint or wear and tear. This is usually due to arthritis or an injury.
Fern has been waiting for surgery for months and told Woman & Home last year: ‘I have arthritis all over. My knee is very bad and so is my shoulder.
“I’m waiting on a list for a surgeon to sort it out. It’s very boring when your body starts to hurt all the time.’
In July, Fern told Good Housekeeping that she has “entered a new phase of her life” because she is no longer married and her children are now grown.
She split from This Morning chef Phil Vickery in January 2020 after 20 years of marriage.
Fern shares twins Harry and Jack, 29, and Grace, 26, with first husband Clive Jones and daughter Winnie, 22, with Phil.
Struggle: Fern has been waiting months for surgery and revealed last year: ‘I have arthritis all over. My knee is very bad and so is my shoulder’
Also: In July, Fern revealed she has ‘entered a new phase of her life’ as she is no longer married and her children are grown (pictured with ex-husband Phil Vickery in 2017)
She explained: ‘It’s like a whole different world has opened up. I never thought this would happen; I didn’t expect to be 65, single and very relaxed.’
In 2022, Fern’s former husband Phil was spotted kissing her former best friend Lorraine Stanton.
The couple was back in the spotlight last year when the kiss came to light.
The photos are said to have left Fern ‘heartbroken and stunned’, but she also tweeted and confirmed the relationship news was ‘not true’.
A source told MailOnline that Fern was embarrassed by the news becoming public and therefore made a statement to minimize the situation and “prevent it from getting out of hand”, noting that after their long friendship she still felt always feels ‘protective’ over her friend.
Still, Fern revealed that she has made some changes in her life both physically and mentally after feeling like she wasn’t doing enough to take care of herself.
The former This Morning presenter said: ‘About a year or so ago I realized I wasn’t looking after myself – physically or mentally.
‘I wasn’t exercising, I was eating too much and suddenly it was like flipping a switch and thinking, ‘No, you have to take care of yourself.’
‘So I started doing that and it gave me a new kind of energy. I do a little yoga and I started using the Couch to 5k running app.
‘I’m very slow – I have arthritis in one of my knees and I’m about to have a shoulder replacement – but I just thought, “It’s only three miles, come on!” My intention is not to run a long marathon or beat anyone, but I do enjoy the fitness side of it.”