Chris Kamara apraxia: What's wrong with the football commentator, has he had a stroke - as broadcaster shares health update
Former footballer and Sky Sports pundit Chris Kamara issued a health update on BBC Breakfast.
Chris Kamara bravely updated fans on his health battle with apraxia of speech (AOS) during an inspiring appearance on BBC Breakfast this morning (Monday 20 January). The much-loved sports pundit spoke about the neurological condition, which he has been openly handling since its announcement in March 2022.
On the show, Chris discussed how joining a choir of Bradford City supporters for the new BBC series Bantam of the Opera proved to be quite therapeutic. Host Jon Kay probed, "Chris, you mentioned, as well, about your condition, your apraxia of speech that you've talked about. How has singing helped you?".
Chris humorously responded, "Well, the good news is, I could never sing before so it's not made any difference. But the truth of the matter is, you get more fluency in your voice when you sing so it's a form of rehab when you're trying to get your voice back. Singing helps me."
The former footballer explained the peculiar choice of singing with a Scottish accent on The Masked Singer UK earlier this year. Revealed as Ghost, the first unmasked celeb of the show's fourth season, he found it easier to maintain fluency while performing with a Scots accent, even showcasing a brief switch to the twang live on air.
He said: "But that's not me. To get my voice back, I have to keep practising. Singing is a way of enabling that situation to come back.”
Bradford City supporters, affectionately dubbed the Bantams, will receive singing lessons from the prestigious BBC Singers and Orchestra for the Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture festivities. With support from ex-Bradford City boss Chris, alongside opera star Lesley Garrett and esteemed composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, they're sure to be in good hands. The ensemble's journey will unfold on Radio Leeds, while fans can tune into 'Bantam of the Opera' on BBC Sounds starting in April.
Apraxia is a motor disorder caused by damage to the brain that significantly impedes speech. The diagnosis led to Chris stepping away from many of his TV commitments for a time while he came to terms with the diagnosis.
Speaking to Andy Goldstein and Darren Bent on talkSPORT's Drive show, Kamara said that when he first started experiencing symptoms, he had no idea what was happening to him. He said: "I woke up one morning and all of a sudden the connection between the brain and the voice went for some reason. I couldn't believe what was happening - I thought 'Have I got dementia? Have I got Alzheimer's? Have I had a bang on the head and I can't recover from it?'".
Kamara revealed that upon first receiving his diagnosis, he struggled to accept it. Apraxia is thought to be more common in older adults, but can be present in children from birth.