Emmerdale star Kevin Mathurin reveals he suffered a heart attack after a period of 'stress and pressure' and says the health scare 'changed his life forever'

Emmerdale star Kevin Mathurin has revealed he suffered a heart attack and was rushed to hospital in a health scare that 'changed his life forever'.The actor, 53, has played Vicar Charles Anderson on the soap since 2020, and shared that he is now focused on 'rebuilding' and 'healing' himself.In his post, Kevin shared that last year he began to suffer from 'chest pains' after a period of 'stress and pressure', and was sent to A&E where doctors told him he had a blocked artery, which led to heart failure.The actor said he was given medication to treat the blockage, and has since focused on overhauling his lifestyle to keep his blood pressure and heart rate down.He shared a video documenting his time in hospital, and as well as his recovery, with Kevin, who has been clean and sober for 16 years, showing himself focused on spending time with his partner Nikki Beatnik and loved ones.Kevin shared a lengthy caption under the post documenting his health scare, and he began: 'I was under a lot of stress and pressure. External issues were taking over my well being. I was anxious, stressed, always angry and suppressing it all. Emmerdale star Kevin Mathurin, 53, has revealed he suffered a heart attack and was rushed to hospital in a health scare that 'changed his life forever' The actor has played Vicar Charles Anderson on the soap since 2020, and shared that he is now focused on 'rebuilding' and 'healing' himself'Not dealing with things head on. I'd also lost a really good friend to Cancer and was upset that I couldn't make his funeral due to work commitments. It was all too much that week and I felt pains in my ribs and arms all week. 'But knowing me, I didn't complain, I just carried on filming, working out and driving up and down the country to be with my family. 'It was Nikki who begged me to book an ECG scan. By the time I got home from the hospital my doctor called me and said get straight to A&E.'Long story-short I had a blocked artery that had damaged part of my heart, making my heartbeat abnormal, causing heart failure and a minor heart attack. 'Within myself I felt fine, but this freaked me and my family out that I didn't pay attention to my body for a whole week.'While staying at King's Hospital, London, I was kept under monitor and had an Angiogram to determine how serious the blockages were.'Thankfully I didn't need surgery for stents, just relying on a lot of meds, exercise and a healthy diet to keep my blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol down.'But while I was in hospital that week I had a lot of time to think, reset, reevaluate my priorities and how I got to this point in my life in the first place. It kick-started a total reboot on my outlook on people, places and things. In his post, Kevin shared that last year he began to suffer from 'chest pains' after a period of 'stress and pressure' The star said he was sent to A&E where doctors told him he had a blocked artery, which led to heart failure The actor said he was given medication to treat the blockage, and has since focused on overhauling his lifestyle to keep his blood pressure and heart rate down He shared a video documenting his time in hospital, and well as his recovery, with Kevin, who has been clean and sober for 16 years The soap star also shared that he's been clean and sober for 16 years, and shared how he rebuilt himself following the heart attack with regular gym sessions Kevin urged his followers to 'be present' by spending time with loved ones, including his partner, DJ Nikki Beatnik, and their son Harley'I want to see my children grow up into wonderful adults and be in a position to guide them when they need me. I want to spend quality time with Nikki and be present when I'm with her and my family. 'I want to see my friends and let them know how much I value their company and time. I want to be a reliable work colleague and have gratitude for what this profession has given me and be open minded for whatever is around the corner.'A huge thank you to all the doctors and nurses at King's Hospital and the cardiac physiotherapists at Lewisham Hospital. THANK YOU NHS ❤️'Fear makes you ill. Shuts you down and stand still. Love your people, love life and keep moving.'Many of Kevin's fans were quick to share their well-wishes in the comments, alongside his co-star Ash Palmisciano, who plays Matty Barton.He commented: 'Ah mate what a stressful time and you still showed up being the nicest guy ever and you're right it really does! big love mate xxx'Prior to starring in Emmerdale, Kevin has played James in Michael Morpurgo’s The Butterfly Lion at Chichester Festival Theatre, Crooks in Of Mice and Men UK Tour and Bill in The Visit at The National Theatre.He joined the soap's cast at the height of the Covid pandemic, and has since appeared in 400 episodes. He's been in a relationship with DJ Nikki since 2011, and they are parents to son Harley, 11.