Former footballer and sports broadcaster Chris Kamara was presenting an award at the National Diversity Awards when he opened up about his health
Chris Kamara has opened up about his brain injury and how he got through it at the National Diversity Awards. The former footballer and sports broadcaster was diagnosed with speech apraxia in 2022.
Before presenting an award at the National Diversity Awards, Chris, 67, gave a speech where he spoke about what he’d been through and thanked the audience for helping get him to “the other side”.
“As some of you may know, I’ve recently had a brain injury,” he started, addressing the audience. “The good thing is I’m through it now, I’m through to the other side. And it is thanks to the kindness of people like you, so thank you all very much indeed.”
In 2022, Chris was diagnosed with speech apraxia, a condition where an individual’s ability to take speech plans and make them into motor plans is affected, resulting in limited and difficult abilities to speak. It often results from a brain injury. Chris was diagnosed shortly after experiencing ‘brain fog’ during an interview on The One Show the year before and following the decision to step back from sports presenting.
On Friday (19 September), Chris took to the stage at the National Diversity Awards to present an award. He continued his speech by joking that he would now do the job he was “supposed to do”, and then took a far more serious tone to discuss the state of the world right now.
“Right, onto the job I’m supposed to do. Unfortunately, we live in a world where racism and prejudice still exist. Sometimes, it takes real strength just to be yourself. In my world, I believe everyone is equal and the people I know think exactly the same.”
Back in June, Chris shared a worrying health update with fans and admitted he was “very weak” amid his battle with speech apraxia, which also affects your balance. The TV presenter even revealed he was having trouble with walking down stairs.
When he was first diagnosed, he took time away from TV work to focus on his treatment and went to Mexico in an attempt to slow or reverse the effects of his condition.
His speech did improve and Chris returned to TV punditry during the Premier League Boxing Day games in 2024 but has said that he is “choosy” about what he does because his struggles with balance still impact what he can do.
“I’m choosey these days,” he told the Daily Star. “That’s what’s happened with the work because even though I’ve got the acceptance of my condition, I still don’t want to put myself in a situation where it comes back to bite me.
“So I’m not like the old Chris Kamara who would say yes to the opening of an envelope. Whereas now I’m a bit more choosy and will I put myself in a situation where it won’t work out alongside my apraxia, I have dyspraxia, which affects your balance.
“So I’m weak, really weak, and you know, going down these stairs isn’t great. Going up these stairs is fine, but going down these stairs, the brain tells you you’re going to fall even though you probably won’t, so you have to hold on to the banister and getting on planes and things like that. Don’t be in the queue behind me because I’ll be 5 minutes getting down those plane steps!”
Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .