Katie Piper 'forced off air' in medical emergency as she gives health update

Loose Women presenter Katie Piper was absent from the airwaves, causing worry among fans when a sudden medical emergency required her to step back from her duties on ITV.

The Katie Piper's Breakfast Show saw the host notably absent. Katie, 40, suffered a horrifying acid attack at the hands of an ex-boyfriend that led to severe facial injuries and blindness in one eye back in 2008. She had to undergo an "unexpected medical procedure" roughly two weeks ago.

Since the horrifying assault she survived over a decade ago, Katie has needed multiple hospital visits for skin grafts and procedures relating to her eye, the Mirror reports.

On June 8 earlier this month, the much-loved public figure revealed to her followers she would be off from her breakfast show due to another eye surgery.

She posted: "I'm not going to be on my breakfast show this weekend as I've had to have an unexpected medical procedure. All is well and I hope after some rest I'll be back in the hot seat next weekend!"

However, when Katie didn't make a return the following weekend, insider sources told the Mirror: "Katie had quite a bad reaction to this operation, which has left her feeling really poorly. Much as she'd love to be back on the sofa on Saturday, at the moment it's just not realistic and she acknowledges this.

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"She is concentrating on her recovery so that she can be back to her best as soon as possible. ITV have been really understanding and have said to her that she should take all the time she needs before coming back."

A representative for Katie later provided an update, stating: "Katie's recovery from an eye operation has taken a little longer than expected so sadly she won't be hosting her Breakfast Show again this week. However, she looks forward to returning for the final episodes of the run next weekend [June 22]."

Subsequently, Katie took to Instagram to thank her followers for their support, expressing: "I'm good, I'm fine. I was so gutted to not be part of the Breakfast Show. Anyone that knows me knows I hate letting people down. It wasn't even a case of calling in sick, I physically couldn't be at the recording because I've been in hospital the whole time."

Informing fans she had "just come out of hospital", Katie added: "I've had some problems with my retina, which I've never had before, it's usually my cornea. I had further complications and a bad infection. "

In a frank admission, the star then confessed she had felt "down", suggesting her past was still 'holding her back', but had rallied and felt better and thanked everyone for their kind messages as she told them she was 'back at work filming again.'

At the end of last year, Katie was forced off air again after undergoing surgery to her left eye. Katie said at the time of the procedure, which is used to help or heal the cornea: "In my case I am trying to preserve the eye, avoid perforation and loosing my eye completely."

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