The professional skater is having to pay for the surgery himself after he was discharged from NHS care last year due to a clerical error.
Dancing On Ice star Brendyn Hatfield has revealed he’s gone through surgery after being rushed to hospital following a hidden health battle that left him struggling to breathe. The 39-year-old professional skater, who first joined the ITV series in 2019, posted a video on social media where he explained that he has been dealing with severe asthmatic symptoms for over a year despite having no history of the respiratory condition.
Brendyn kept his update light at first, greeting viewers with a playful Ace Ventura impression. But it soon turned serious as he shared: “It’s a big day tomorrow. Going in for a little bit of surgery. Everybody close to me knows what’s going on.”
The skater revealed that his issues started a year and a half ago with sudden asthma attacks that sent him to A&E multiple times. He added: “Never dealt with it my whole life. Like breathing – it’s been really hard.”
After running tests doctors discovered a number of complications with his sinuses, and recommended surgery. But after being accidentally discharged from NHS care in October last year, Brendyn was told he wouldn’t be seen again until December 2025.
“I can’t live like this anymore,” he admitted. “So it’s not a massive surgery, but the bill sure is – because the NHS could not fit me in for another year.”
Despite his frustration with the delay and what he described as a “clerical error”, Brendyn stayed positive, telling fans: “I’m excited to get it done…everything works out in the end and you just keep going, you know?”
The skater, who has previously appeared on five seasons of the hit ice-dancing show, recently confirmed his departure from Dancing On Ice ahead of the 2025 series.
Following his exit, ITV announced the long-running series would be axed in 2026 due to declining viewership figures. An ITV spokesperson said: “Following another successful series earlier this year, Dancing On Ice will be rested in 2026 with no current plans for another series.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the cast and crew who have worked on the show since 2006, and over the previous 17 series, for all of their hard work both on and off the ice.”
Brendyn is currently dating former S Club 7 star Rachel Stevens, who recently called him her “soulmate” in a sweet Instagram post for his 40th birthday. The singer previously admitted that meeting Brendyn was the final blow for her marriage with Alex Bourne, which she described as being on the rocks before her Dancing On Ice stint.
In an interview with the Sun, she said: “It was messy. I knew that we were growing, that I was growing apart, but I was in turmoil, because, first of all, my kids.”
Rachel added that it was “really scary” to tell her husband she was falling for Brendyn, because she knew that would signal the end of their relationship, but she is glad she did as her new partner is “a beautiful human” and she is filled with love for him.
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