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Daily Mirror
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Hana Carter

Jonathan Ross says daughter Betty is in a wheelchair as she battles long-term illness

Jonathan Ross has spoken about his daughter Betty's fibromyalgia diagnosis, adding that she has had a "tough couple of years".

The talk show host explained how his daughter, 30, is using an electric wheelchair and has struggled with depression as she battles the syndrome.

Speaking on Loose Women, Jonathan told Kaye Adams, Frankie Bridge, Dame Kelly Holmes and Denise Welch: “She has fibromyalgia and she has chronic fatigue syndrome and POTS syndrome as well, which is where your heart rate shoots up.”

Explaining Betty's current treatment, he added: “We found a good… there's a thing called the Perrin treatment. The guy who invented it, he came to talk to me about it and she looked it up online because she's a smart young woman, so she has to want to do the treatment.

Jonathan Ross spoke openly about his daughter's illness (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Jonathan said that his daughter has had a tough couple of years (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

He did share some good news however: "I can't just say to her ‘try this, try that’ if she thinks it’s wrong in some way and if she’s not going to enter it one hundred percent, of course it's not worth doing.

"But we've been having that treatment going on and she's definitely showing some improvement.”

Betty's illness has affected the rest of the family too: “She still can't walk very far. We got her an electric wheelchair in the summer, so we can at least go out and go for walks with the dogs and that's lifted her spirits a lot.

Betty has fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and POTS syndrome (dayglobetty/Instagram)

“Because that's the problem, if anyone out there who knows or who's got someone with a long term illness, you know, it's the depression.

"Being stuck indoors and not being able to join in with things because even stairs are a challenge to her.

"So if we're going out we have to give her plenty of time to get ready, get downstairs and then have a rest before we go to the next step, you know."

“It does have an impact but the good news is she's definitely showing improvement and feeling better in herself. So we're relieved and we're happy with that.”

Kaye sympathised with Jonathan, and said: “As a parent you just want to fix your children, don't you?”

Jonathan with his son Harvey, his other daughter Honey and her boyfriend Zane (Handout)

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He honestly admitted: “I’m terrible at that as well, even if my wife [Jane Goldman] tells me something's wrong in her day, I have to try and remind myself that sometimes I just need to listen.

"Because as soon as she tells me something, I go ‘Well, I'll phone this guy and I'll do this’ and she goes ‘Okay, I don’t… I'm not interested, I just wanted to tell you I had this bad day.’

“So I really struggle and I have to remind myself that sometimes what she needs in a partner is someone to listen and share it. So it's a learning thing,” he added.

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