Diabetic James Norton, one of the stars of the hit BBC show Happy Valley, is aiming to raise the profile of his life-threatening condition.
The 37-year-old, who has been wowing fans with his portrayal of murderous villain Tommy Lee Royce, has type 1 diabetes and sometimes has to inject himself with insulin up to 15 times a day. He was just 22 when it was confirmed he had the disease.
The autoimmune condition affects around 400,000 people in the UK, with Norton’s mother and sister also affected. He once branded the condition as a “complete b***h” when opening up about life as a diabetic to fans, reports the Mirror.
“It was traumatic [when I was diagnosed], because I’m a terrible hypochondriac anyway,” James once recalled. “But it was also manageable because I had the best role model in my sister, who was training to be a doctor. I called her so many times, worrying about things, which was strange, because I’d always been the protective older brother, keeping an eye on Jessie at parties.”
Norton is adamant, though, that “being diabetic does not hold you back”. He said: “It’d never hamper me, for example, in regards to any role, particularly physically.” Type 1 diabetes is caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking cells in the pancreas that produce the hormone insulin, which in turn causes blood sugar levels to rise. It is managed by administering insulin, which keeps the blood glucose levels low and under control.
“I have to inject every time I eat carbohydrates – up to 15 times a day, with 5mm needles you use discreetly,” James has explained. “Also, I have this device called a Dexcom, a subcutaneous glucose monitor that Bluetooths my phone and tells me what my sugars are.”
Taking to Instagram for World Diabetes Day in 2022, the Happy Valley star shared an impassioned post with his followers in a bid to raise more awareness of the condition. Posing alongside his two insulin pens and Dexcom sensor, Norton captioned the snaps: “Today is World Diabetes Day.
“It’s a day to raise awareness about diabetes. But also to simply show some love and support for all the diabetic warriors out there. “At its best, our condition is a constant faff. At its worst, it’s a complete b***h that can be potentially life-threatening on a daily basis, if it’s not looked after properly. These two insulin pens I’m holding, as well as the @dexcom sensor on my bum, keep me alive every single day.
"You have no idea how valuable these small devices are to us T1s, and how grateful I am to live in a country where we have free access to this type [of] medicine and tech. That said, a cure would be nice. So go visit @jdrf_uk to see how you can get involved. And then go find a diabetic and buy them a Diet Coke.”
Norton is a JDRF Ambassador, an organisation committed to researching new in diabetes technology and treatment and laying the foundations for a cure.
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