Sky Sports presenter Emma Saunders has returned to TV screens after a brutal health battle which saw her football manager boyfriend move back to the UK.
Saunders, who regularly hosts Premier League coverage for the broadcasting giant, was first treated for thyroid cancer before being diagnosed with the serious brain infection encephalitis. She was placed in a coma to aid her recovery.
However, she is now on the mend and was back on TV duties with Sky last weekend.
Her partner, Southampton’s new head coach Will Still, admitted he could not bear to be away from Saunders any longer and made the decision to leave his job in France.
After stepping down at Ligue 1 side Lens and returning home to be closer to his girlfriend, Still, 32, was approached by the Saints and signed a three-year contract.
‘I needed to be closer to home and ultimately Emma is home,’ Still said.
Sky Sports presenter Emma Saunders has returned to work after a harrowing health battle
Saunders, the partner of Will Still, was treated for cancer before suffering a brain infection
Saunders is now on the mend and Still took a job back in the UK to be closer to her
The hope is that Saunders will become a fixture of Sky Sports’ coverage for the upcoming campaign and thankfully, she has taken real strides.
Providing a promising update, Still said, via The Sun: ‘She’s getting a lot better. There’s still the odd thing here and there that isn’t quite right.
‘But she has gone back into work for the first time in a very long while so that’s good.
‘And just the fact I can go home to her after my training and games means she feels better about everything – and now has more control. She’s getting there.’
Still and Saunders went public with their relationship during Euro 2024, having chatted on social media and met at various events before falling for each other.
He made regular trips on the Eurostar to spend time with Saunders in St Albans while continuing to coach in France, trusting his brothers to take the reins in his absence.
‘I’m not going to pretend it wasn’t tough but was lucky my brothers Ed and Nico were also working at Lens,’ Still said, recalling Saunders’ harrowing health struggles.
‘They knew exactly what was going on. Ed had been a head coach so could just do it.
Saunders first revealed her health scare during this Instagram post back in March
Still balanced his work with Ligue 1 side Lens with regular trips to the UK to support Saunders
Still signed a three-year deal with Saints, allowing him to return home to Saunders after work
‘And when Emma got the cancer news in September, he was like, “Will, just go away, you shouldn’t be here.” But I kept coming to the UK two days a week.
‘If there was a day off on a Monday, I’d stay Tuesday and come back Wednesday to prepare for the game. But I won’t miss the Eurostar – as good as that service is!’
