Former Sky Sports presenter Chris Kamara has shared his regret over his battle with speech apraxia, admitting that he feels like he has let his family down by not getting checked by doctors sooner.
The ex-footballer stepped back from TV work earlier this year after being diagnosed with the rare neurological condition which has affected his speech and pronunciation, with saying the right sounds and words becoming very difficult for the beloved presenter.
In September, Kamara - best known to fans as 'Kammy' - opened up on his illness on a podcast and heartbreakingly admitted that he "felt like a fraud" after the condition caused him to slur his words.
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And in an interview with The Sun ahead of the release of his emotional new ITV documentary 'Chris Kamara: Lost for Words' on December 13, the former Portsmouth, Brentford and Swindon Town footballer reflected further on his diagnosis and shared his regret at not seeking medical help sooner than he did.
Despite first noticing a problem in 2020, Kamara, who also suffers with an existing thyroid issue, chose not to get it checked out, and didn't even tell anyone about his health concerns.
"The doctor said if I'd gone in those first two or three months and had my thyroid checked then I might have been OK," he said. "But because I left it, everything happening in the body - the balance, the muscle weakening - came from the fact I didn't tell anybody. I feel I've let my wife and family down by being a dinosaur and not getting checked out."
The beloved presenter has been left full of regret by his decision to keep his worries hidden and admitted that it had affected his relationships with those closest to him.
"I stupidly kept it to myself, or at least tried to," he added. "At home I'd speak in sound bites and instead of starting conversations, I'd just be a small part of them and get away with one or two-word answers."
Kamara went public with his diagnosis in March, issuing a statement saying he was "OK-ish" and "working to get my speech back to normal" after fans expressed concern at him slurring some of his words while on-air.
He left Sky Sports at the end of last season after 24 years with the broadcaster and admitted he needed to walk away before "ruining" his legacy after becoming a fan favourite on Soccer Saturday.
"My voice was my work and I was so recognisable through it," he said. "Suddenly, I hadn't got it any more and that was so hard to take.
"After 25 years of broadcasting I took my voice for granted and so when it sounds like somebody else or it's slurring or not there at all, it's not just embarrassing, it's mind-blowing."
After coming to terms with his diagnosis, Kamara is on the road to recovery and has met with neurologists and undergone various treatments.
"Accepting my condition was very hard, but my therapist said the day I admitted it would be the first day of my recovery," he added. "He was dead right. It was the best thing I could have done."
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