The Chase star Paul Sinha was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019, and he recently opened up about how the moment drastically affected his career.
The quizmaster, who is also a stand-up comedian, has revealed that his experience with the neurological condition will be discussed in detail during his upcoming stand-up show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 2 Sinha Lifetime.
Appearing on ITV‘s Good Morning Britain, the 55-year-old shared details of how his diagnosis is addressed in the show: “I do lots of jokes about it. It’s as simple as that. You deal with the cards you’ve been dealt, and if you’ve been given a comedy goldmine, as Parkinson’s is, then you deal with it.”
He continued: “I mean, as far as I’m aware, no other comedians at the Edinburgh Fringe will be talking about their own struggles with neurological degeneration so might as well be me.”
Paul Sinha’s experience with heart attacks at Edinburgh Fringe
Paul also opened up about having two heart attacks during his last appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival back in 2023.
© Ken McKay/ITV/ShutterstockHe said: “I was in a room with 400 people in and it all got on top of me and I had two heart attacks in the same Edinburgh Fringe. Two! Week number one and week number three.
“The first one, I was shaking the hand of Levi Roots in a bar when I had a heart attack. I didn’t want to cause a scene. I didn’t want to call an ambulance. I thought I might as well just get into a cab to take me to the nearest hospital as quickly as possible.”
After not being diagnosed properly the first time, The Chase star was informed that he had had two small heart attacks, but decided to carry on with his performances.
© Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty ImagesPaul reflected on the decision, concluding: “Looking back on it, that’s not the right thing to do. I know why I did it, because of the Edinburgh Festival, and I didn’t want to lose a huge amount of money.”
What is Parkinson’s disease?
According to the NHS website, Parkinson’s disease is a “condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years”.
Symptoms can include tremors, slow movement and stiff or inflexible muscles, as well as a series of psychological symptoms which may include anxiety, depression, balance problems, anosmia, insomnia or issues with memory.
