Chris Kamara speech problems stop him presenting UK Strongest Man

The popular football pundit, 65, was due to appear at Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham between May 27 and 29 2023.

The former Bradford City manager tweeted on Monday to say he has “reluctantly pulled out” of presenting the show due to his “ongoing speech problems.”

Kamara continued by urging the public to attend the “spectacular” event.

Due to my ongoing speech problems 😢 i have reluctantly pulled out of presenting this year’s UK’s Strongest Man. The show will be In Nottingham this weekend. If you fancy? Please go along – it’s spectacular 🏋️‍♀️🏋🏿‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/LOfIDBnGau

— Chris Kamara (@chris_kammy) May 22, 2023

What is Chris Kamara’s speech condition Apraxia?

The announcement follows the news that Kamara was diagnosed with Apraxia in 2022. 

The broadcaster learned of the condition after he was seen on Sky Sports slurring his words.

Apraxia is the loss of ability to execute or carry out skilled movement and gestures, despite having the physical ability and desire to perform them, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

It leads to the dysfunction of the cerebral hemispheres of your brain, especially the parietal lobe (which is involved with movement coordination and processing sensations such as taste, hearing, and touch), and can arise from many diseases or damage to the brain. 

Fans have flooded social media with support for Kamara following the news. 

With three red heart emojis, one person shared: “Kammy you are a legend of a man. So much so that I don’t think that I’ve ever come across any one person who is so universally loved and who transcends generations, my day loves you, I love you and my son loves you.”

A second fan commented: “Sorry you have been forced to pull out of this Kammy. I know you will keep battling the problem & hopefully will be ready to present future shows”.

Meanwhile, a third user chimed in: “Oh Kammy, I’m so sorry to hear this. Sending my love. I hope you can feel the collective love and support from everyone x.”

Previously speaking to ITV’s This Morning, Kamara said that he knew “something wasn’t right” in 2019 but told “no-one” and decided to speak in “sound bites” to mask his condition.

The broadcaster said: “I thought ‘I’m going to wake up one day and it’s all gone’.”

Kamara said he did not go to the doctor until 2020 and “could have” had his thyroid issue sorted earlier if he had sought medical advice.

Speaking about his apraxia, he added: “We take for granted when we speak, it’s natural, but the message from (my) brain somehow gets confused and the words come out wrong, or they come out slow, or they don’t come out at all.

“My voice was my life so that was hard…to accept. That’s why I kept it quiet, I thought there’s no way I can tell anybody.”