‘My heart had to be restarted’: Rylan Clark reveals he suffered two heart failures during his divorce

‘My heart had to be restarted,’ presenter revealed

Rylan Clark revealed the frightening extent of the breakdown he suffered amid his divorce from his husband of six years, Dan Neal.

Clark and Neal got married in 2015, and last July the It Takes Two presenter announced that the pair had separated on Instagram.

During his An Evening With Rylan Clark event at London Royal Festival Hall on Wednesday (21 September), Clark told the audience he’d suffered two heart failures amid the breakdown of his marriage.

“It was like my body had shut down. Twice last year I ended up back in an ambulance because my heart had failed and it was really strange because I just remember for a couple of weeks going, ‘My heart hurts’,” the former X Factor contestant said, per Metro.

Clark reportedly told the audience that he had a resting heart rate of 248 beats per minute at the time.

“My heart had to be restarted. I just remember lying in re-sus[citation], because I had these pads on with all these wires, and not understanding what it was,” he said.

Clark previously spoke about his health issues that arose from the divorce on Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast, saying: “My body did completely shut down. I wouldn’t eat. I went through a stage where I couldn’t even talk, which for some people might be quite handy.

Rylan Clark (BBC)

“My speech was just slurred. My mum thought I was having a stroke. My body just went. I went down to 9st and I am six-foot-four.”

For anyone struggling with the issues raised in this piece, eating disorder charity Beat’s helpline is available 365 days a year on 0808 801 0677. You can visit their website here.

NCFED offers information, resources and counselling for those suffering from eating disorders, as well as their support networks. They can be reached by phone on 845 838 2040 or their website here.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, the Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.