Emmerdale star says they’re ‘happy to have woken up’ after surgery

Actor was pictured in a hospital gown connected to what appeared to be an IV drip

Emmerdale actor Dean Andrews has shared a health update after he was taken into hospital for surgery.

The star, known for playing Will Taylor on the ITV soap, said he was “glad to have woken up” and thanked staff at Sheffield’s Thornbury Hospital in a recent social media post.

The 60-year-old shared a picture of himself to his Instagram page wearing a hospital gown and a wristband. He was connected to what appeared to be an IV drip as he gave a thumbs-up and smiled.

“Surgery went well. Very happy to have woken up. Many thanks to my surgeon Chris and all the staff at Thornbury Hospital,” he wrote as a caption.

Support poured in from well-wishers as they wished him a “speedy recovery” and hoped he would “get well soon”.

“So sorry to hear you’re unwell. Hope you’re soon on your feet,” wrote one fan.

Others were surprised at the seemingly sudden information, with some concerned users saying, “Oh no! What has happened? I hope you’ll be feeling better super soon.”

One made a joking reference to the actor’s seminal role in the hit BBC series, Life on Mars, and remarked: “Did you wake up and the year was 1973 and your detective chief inspector kept calling you Raymondo by any chance?”

Andrews shared an image from his hospital bed and shared he was ‘happy to have woken up’ (Dean Andrews/ Instagram: @deanoandrews)

The actor did not share the nature of his health condition or the procedure that was undertaken.

A week before his health update, Andrews shared a picture of his daughter and grandson out for lunch along with his wife Helen Bowen.

He and Bowen tied the knot last year in a ceremony attended by family and friends.

Bowen shared a post to her Instagram stories after Andrews shared the update with his followers, adding “Brave sticker pending” over the picture of her husband.

Dean Andrews (PA)

Andrews rose to prominence as the straight-talking DS Ray Carling on the BBC drama series Life on Mars. He acted in the series from 2006 and became a favourite with fans, before the show ended in 2007.

Andrews is most recently known for his role as Will Taylor on Emmerdale, which he has played since 2019. Will is an ex-con and former drug dealer who is also married to a veteran of the show, Kim Tate (played by Claire King) and the father of Dawn Taylor (played by Olivia Bromley).

His character is known for working for DI Malone’s dangerous gang after the crooked cop went rogue.