A long-time and much-loved BBC news presenter and editor has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s after struggling to open a Waitrose bag, which follows on from Jeremy Paxman’s diagnosis.
The former BBC News Europe and North America editor Mark Mardell, 65, has revealed his diagnosis to the world while appearing on Roger Bolton’s Beeb Watch podcast.
Speaking to the host he said: “I’m feeling fine and dandy, but I have to share with you that I have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which means my voice is rather strange and weak… I’ve lost a bit of my boom.
READ NEXT: BBC Breakfast slammed as show suggests microwaving chicken breasts during energy crisis
“And I’m getting used to being the quietest person in the room rather than the loudest.
(Image: PA)
“But generally it’s in the stage of just being annoying rather than anything terrible.”
Recalling when he spotted the symptoms, he said: “I started thinking at the beginning of the year, Waitrose are making their packaging really hard to get into these days.
“What’s this about? And then I found my arms suddenly lifting above my head for no particular reason, or at least staying there.”
(Image: PA)
Parkinson’s disease is where parts of the brain become damaged, with the condition causing symptoms like shaking and stiffness.
Symptoms are said to begin gradually at first, with them getting worse over time.
As the condition progresses and worsens, people with Parkinson’s may have difficulty walking and talking.
Mark explained that as well as picking up on the tell-tale signs himself, his physiotherapist pal spotted his symptoms.
Having been put on medication, Mark spoke of the worrying side effects of his new tablets, because doctors have said that they can make patients act impulsively.
(Image: BBC News & Current Affairs via Getty Images)
Mark teased: “[I told them to] watch for gambling, because it’s the one vice I’ve never had. So if I start gambling, you know there’s a problem with the pills!”
The journalist began his career when he was a reporter and newsreader for Radio Tees.
He first appeared on television on Channel 4’s The Sharp End before he joined the BBC in 1989 as a political correspondent for the BBC Six O’Clock News.
For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.
READ MORE:
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
