Paul Holmes faces heart surgery

Broadcaster Paul Holmes will undergo a "significant" surgery to fix a heart condition that has forced him into hospital.

The Q+A host and radio broadcaster was flown from Hawke's Bay to Auckland City Hospital earlier this week.

In a statement this morning, Holmes said he was in hospital "due to a specific heart condition and a particular development which needs to be halted", though he did not reveal what that condition was.

"The procedure is significant but I am confident that we will get a good result. I'm in good spirits and progressing satisfactorily and thank everybody for their good wishes."

Auckland District Health Board could not say when Holmes would have the surgery.

In January, Holmes had surgery due to the prostate cancer he suffered more than a decade ago.

Homes told NZ Women's Weekly at the time the surgery was to ''correct some old stuff'' following his earlier cancer treatment and radiotherapy ''which tends to churn things up inside''.

''I came home and that night a little complication set in that was a bit alarming, but a couple of days later it was sorted.''

Holmes, a reformed smoker, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1999.

It's not known whether the latest incident is related to his earlier surgery or cancer.

Holmes is facing pressure after the New Zealand Press Council upheld complaints against racial comments he made in a Weekend Herald column.

The council received seven complaints against the column headed "Waitangi Day a complete waste".

The introduction to the story read: ''It's time to cancel our repugnant national holiday.''

Complaints were upheld on the basis of accuracy, fairness and balance, discrimination and diversity.

Earlier this year Holmes spoke out about the troubles he had in raising his adoptive daughter Millie Elder-Holmes, who battled P addiction as a teenager.

- © Fairfax NZ News