Chris Kamara ‘suffered in silence’ as Kammy reveals speech of apraxia diagnosis

Chris ‘Kammy’ Kamara, 64, has opened up about his health condition and admitted that a ‘stupid’ mistake could have saved his job at Sky Sports.

The former footballer and legendary pundit, who played for Leeds United, Sheffield United and Bradford City, had ‘suffered in silence’ for months after finding out about his apraxia of speech in March.

The neurological condition means the person affected cannot speak properly as the messages cannot get through correctly and so people started to question Chris’s health when he slurred speech on air.

Chris claimed that fans thought he was ‘drunk’ as he could not pronounce his words correctly leading to his departure from the Soccer Saturday show at the end of last season.

Despite his recent diagnosis, Chris has been suffering from symptoms for over a year and was told by doctors that he may have kept his speech if he had visited them earlier.

As a result, Chris has opened up about his experience in an attempt to encourage people to visit doctors, as he is left with regret.

He said: “Initially, I was in denial. I’m a dinosaur. I suffered in silence for 20 months and in that time my thyroid gland became virtually non-existent, so that could be a reason for all of my problems along the line, by just not going to see the doctor.

“Now not only have I got an under-active thyroid, the apraxia of speech has come on, my balance is no good, I’m really weak.”

In another interview, ahead of his upcoming ITV documentary ‘Lost for Words’, Chris stated that he felt like he had let his family down by not going to get checked as soon as possible and hiding his fears from them.

Despite Chris finding a bump in the road with the apraxia of speech diagnosis, he has been determined to not let the condition stop him from working.

The Middlesbrough man tried numerous treatments including oxygen therapy and wearing an electronic tag that sends currents through your body to try and stimulate speech, but has announced that ‘everyday is a struggle’.

Fans can still find Kammy on ITV’s Ninja Warrior and on BBC podcast ‘Kammy and Ben’s Proper Football Podcast’.

If you are experiencing similar symptoms to Chris Kamara, please visit the Brain Charity website or speak to someone on their helpline 0151 298 2999.