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The Chase star Paul Sinha shares health update after Parkinson’s diagnosis
‘I want people to know that I am not vanishing, I’m still fighting as hard as ever’
The Chase star Paul Sinha has shared a health update after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Paul ‘Sinnerman’ Sinha appeared on Thursday’s episode of Loose Women (May18th) — changed to Loose Men to mark Mental Health Awareness Week — where he said he’s fighting as ‘hard as ever’, after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2019.
The Chaser, known as The Sinnerman, received a diagnosis for the degenerative neurological disorder after he experienced a symptom of a ‘sudden-onset, frozen right shoulder’.
Initially, it was believed the TV personality had an orthopaedic issue, and while it took him a while to get the diagnosis, he admitted he felt a slight sense of relief upon hearing the news.
Parkinson’s is a condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years, causing unintended and uncontrollable movements such as shaking. Over time, sufferers may have trouble walking and talking.
In a previous interview with 5 News, Paul said: “When you start walking with a limp, you know that something’s wrong and it was more of a sense of relief of, ‘Now that I know what it is, I can sort of own it’.”
He has since been open about his diagnosis with loyal fans, and on the all-male panel for the spin-off of ITV’s lunchtime show Loose Women, he chatted about it alongside host Vernon Kay, Manchester boxer Tommy Fury and singer and actor Martin Kemp.
He told viewers and his fellow panellists: “I have Parkinson’s. It is a tough call, and it will get tougher for me.
“In the years that I have ahead of me, I want to do my best to show that it doesn’t have to ruin your quality of life, and that you can fight against the stereotypes others have of you.
“For that reason, when I’m out and about, I try even harder to look my best. I want people to know that I am not vanishing, I’m still fighting as hard as ever.”
Urging men watching at home to be open about their physical, mental and emotional health, he added: “It’s important for everyone, not just men, to realise that however hard we try, we are not perfect, either physically or mentally.
“Traditionally, men have been discouraged to seek help, by believing that it’s a sign of weakness.
“But in all walks of life, a problem shared is a problem halved; or at the very least reduced. I hope that the message is getting through, but if it isn’t, I’d like to do my bit to help.”