ITV viewers were left deeply moved during Jeremy Paxman’s frank documentary on ‘putting up with’ Parkinson’s disease.
The veteran journalist and former Newsnight lynchpin opened up about his battle with the illness in a one-off ITV documentary, entitled Putting Up With Parkinson’s.
Paxman discovered he had the disease after a fall while walking his dog landed him in April 2021.
In A&E, Paxman described how his doctor told him he thought he was suffering from the illness, after he had noticed the University Challenge host was less expressive during the programme, as a result of ‘Parkinson’s mask’.
Jeremy opened about how the ‘frustrating’ disease affects his everyday life, from an inability to type on the keyboard without anything but ‘gibberish’ coming out to a difficulty walking without falling.
Fans of the rigorous broadcaster took to Twitter to share their heartbreak over his diagnosis, with one writing: “Oh my days, Paxman. He looks so, so different, makes my heart sink that it can happen so quickly.”
Another added: “Well, this is getting me a bit emotional. Good job I am home alone,” alongside a crying emoji.
A third said: “The voice and intellect still seem as present as ever, but now I see what is meant by this 'Parkinson's mask'.”
Another upset viewer said: “The voice and intellect still seem as present as ever, but now I see what is meant by this 'Parkinson's mask'.”
Whilst a further remarked: “Sad to see such a legend as Jeremy Paxman's health deteriorating. Yet, he is still so articulate & eloquent.”
Another revealed their shock after not having previously been aware of Jeremy’s diagnosis, writing: “Gosh, I had no idea Jeremy Paxman had Parkinson's disease.
“Quite a shock. Someone who has been on our screens for my whole lifetime and who you in a strange way feel you know, now not quite as you remember. Though still as feisty as ever.”
The documentary followed the broadcaster as he chatted to other celebrities living with the illness as well as the leading experts in the area.
One in 37 people in the UK will be diagnosed in their lifetime and Paxman investigated and busts some of the myths surrounding the illness.
At one point he sat down with Chaser Paul Sinha in a pub, as the pair reflected on how Parkinson’s has impacted them.
Sinha, who has had Parkinson’s for four years, explained he had started ‘limping’ when he was formally diagnosed.
While Sinha was aware of what Parkinson’s was at the time of his diagnosis, Paxman shares that he ‘didn’t know at all’ when diagnosed.
The pair then compared the movement of their hands, to see how slowly their fingers touch one another, as Sinha showed his right hand was particularly tight.
