Chris Kamara reveals he was ashamed of his Apraxia diagnosis before friend Kate Garraway sent him for revolutionary treatment in Brazil

Chris Kamara admitted he was embarrassed when he first encountered apraxia, a movement disorder caused by brain damage that significantly affects speech.

In 2021, the TV presenter was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid and then apraxia of speech, causing him to temporarily step away from most of his television roles.

Chris explained how he kept his diagnosis a secret for a year, even from his wife Anne, and how his friend Kate Garraway helped him seek treatment.

Speaking about the day he first noticed something was wrong, Chris told ITV’s Lorraine on Monday: “I woke up one day and went downstairs and tried to talk to my wife, but the journey from my brain to my mouth was slow and I I thought I must have drunk too much the night before.

Chris Kamara admitted he was embarrassed when he first encountered apraxia, a movement disorder caused by brain damage that significantly affects speech.

Chris told ITV’s Lorraine on Monday how “I woke up one day and went downstairs and tried to talk to my wife and thought I must have had too much to drink the night before.”

“And a few hours later I was slurring my words and that’s when you realize something is wrong.”

Apraxia is a poorly understood neurological condition that affects the body’s ability to perform natural motor functions, and apraxia of speech is a specific motor speech disorder that makes it difficult to speak.

“I lived the first year and a half on my own, I didn’t tell anyone, but people guessed, my wife guessed. Eventually people began to realize that my reporting was not brilliant, but slow.”

“I thought I would be a nuisance to the family. Now I understand that it was stupid to think that way. I was ashamed too. I get upset when I say this, I was ashamed of my condition.”

He added: “I apologize to anyone who has trouble speaking, don’t be ashamed, get help.” I am very upset because I thought they (the family) would not take care of me if I had a serious illness.”

Lorraine then revealed that it was Good Morning Britain star Kate Garraway who suggested Chris get treatment in Brazil.

“Experimental treatment,” Chris explained. “Now the fluency is back, but the only thing I’m missing is speed, and I used to speak at about 300mph, but it’s slowly coming back.”

“The treatment was amazing, but was not approved by the world’s medical commissions. I will encourage them to try to bring it here.”

“I kept it a secret for a year,” he explained. “But my wife noticed and people asked if I was drunk.”

Lorraine then revealed that it was Good Morning Britain star Kate Garraway who suggested Chris get treatment in Brazil.

Chris previously thanked Kate’s GMB co-star Ben Shephard – and his co-host on Saturday night show Ninja Warrior UK – after he revealed how the presenter convinced him to go public with his speech disorder when viewers thought he was slurring his words.

“Can I say a big thank you to Ben because none of this would have happened without your help,” he said during an interview with GMB last month.

“I’m so glad Ben talked to me about doing GMB because in many ways I’d say I’m 70% better since that day. Acceptance was the hardest part, but now I have a clear determination to help other people with speech disorders.”

Chris has previously admitted that every time ITV announces the line-up for I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, he gets a painful reminder of his biggest TV regret!

Discussing his close friendship with hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly in new memoir Cammy: My Fabulous Life, the former footballer, pundit and TV presenter revealed he was approached many times to appear on the show before being diagnosed with the condition.

He wrote: “I find it hard to watch myself in my pre-apraxia days – not that I was ever a big fan of watching myself on TV – so I didn’t watch YouTube, but I had a lot of happy memories.” who supported me, for example, for six years when I appeared on Saturday Night Takeaway with the brilliant Ant and Dec.

“I’d see more of them if I said yes to the constant requests to continue I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, but I’ve always turned down the jungle because of my commitment to Football Saturday and Goals. on Sunday.’

He added: “I intended to do it one day when my contract with Sky comes to an end, but unfortunately I’m not in the shape to do it at the moment.” Neither my body nor my mind could cope.

“I couldn’t hear the words, ‘Chris Kamara has been excused from this assignment due to health concerns.’ No chance. It’s a big regret.”

Health: In 2021, the presenter was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid and then apraxia of speech, causing him to step away from most of his television roles.