VANESSA Feltz has been rushed to hospital for emergency surgery after being left “doubled over in agony”.

The broadcaster, 62, shocked her fans when she shared a message from her hospital bed this morning.

a woman in a hospital bed with the words bit shocked but very grateful indeed to be in hospital

Vanessa Feltz was rushed to hospital in agony
She wrote: “Gosh! Hello from hospital. 2pm I was fine. Had just made lunch and was playing with AJ 5 and Cecily nearly two. 3pm I was doubled over in agony.

“Scan showed big kidney stone. OMG! Astoundingly painful. Rushed into theatre.

“Very grateful, thanks to my daughters, nurses, porters, anaesthetist and wonderful surgeon. Thank you so much.”

The mum-of-two said the agony she was in from the 5mm stone was greater than either of her labours.

Vanessa added that while she’s usually a “trooper”, there was no way she could power through the pain to present her scheduled LBC radio show.

Her celeb friends were quick to send their support with Love Island‘s Chloe Burrows writing: “Omg!!! Sending you loads of love xxxxx.”

Lisa Snowdon said: “Oh bloody hell V! Super ouch and thank goodness you’re ok. Big love honey,”

Kate Thornton posted: “Ouch! Thank goodness you’re in the right place. Feel better and sending my love x.”

Holly Willoughby‘s sister Kelly shared: “Oh Vanessa!!!!! You poor thing. Sending you love and healing darling.”

Kidney stones are masses made of salt and minerals, and can be anywhere between a grain of salt and a golf ball in size.

There are several different types – calcium stones, struvite stones, uric acid stones and cystine stones.

The stones have potential to cause severe pain, and while most pass on their own through the ureter – the tube between the kidney and the bladder – some need to be surgically removed.

It’s been a dramatic few days for Vanessa.

Last week she was sitting in for Storm Huntley on Jeremy Vine’s Channel 5 show when a fire alarm caused the entire building to be evacuated.

The former Celebrity Big Brother star took to her social media as a pre-recorded programme was put on the airwaves in its place.

“Oh for goodness sake a fire alarm!” she exclaimed on her Instagram story.

“Nobody knows if it’s real or pretend, but we think it’s real because there’s an actual fire engine and the building has been evacuated.”

She added: “I don’t know what’s going on with the show!”

Fortunately, it was a false alarm and everyone was able to eventually return to work unscathed.

a woman in a colorful floral dress sits on a yellow chair

Vanessa has been a regular on TV and radio for decades
What are kidney stones?

Kidney stones are a common and usually very painful condition.

They usually affect people between the ages of 30 to 60, the NHS says.

It adds: “They can be extremely painful, and can lead to kidney infections or the kidney not working properly if left untreated.”

How can you tell if you have a kidney stone?

Call NHS 111 or a GP if you have severe pain, a high temperature, an episode of shivering or shaking or blood in the urine.

Kidney stones form from chemicals in the urine.

Some are as small as a grain of sand and are passed in the urine without you noticing. Others can be as large as a pebble.

Causes of kidney stones are:

Many kidney stones can be treated at home by drinking lots of water, using pain relief and waiting for the stones to pass.

Large kidney stones need to be removed by surgery, in which various methods are used to break the kidney stone into smaller pieces so that they can pass in the urine.

Some surgeries are done under anaesthetic while others are not.