I won’t be beaten!
Broadcaster Jeremy Paxman shares his experiences of Parkinson’s…
He’s spent his career posing difficult questions on Newsnight and University Challenge. But now Jeremy Paxman is seeking to answer his own questions about the neurological condition Parkinson’s disease, which he was diagnosed with 18 months ago.
In this ITV documentary, he sets out to learn more about the condition, talking to fellow sufferer Paul Sinha, plus Ozzy Osbourne’s wife Sharon and Jane Asher, president of the charity Parkinson’s UK.
It all started, he recalls, when he fell over while walking the dog. ‘The first thing I knew was when someone was sitting me on a bench,’ he reveals. ‘I’d fallen over and made a real mess of my face.’
While Jeremy was waiting for treatment in A&E, a doctor recognised him and went over to him…
Defiant
‘He told me: “I think that you’ve got Parkinson’s.” He’d been watching me on University Challenge, and noticed I’d acquired the “Parkinson’s mask” [a lack of facial expression].’ Although Parkinson’s is incurable, Jeremy learns that he can take steps to slow its progress, notably by keeping active, so he plays bowls and takes a movement class with other patients. He’s also stepping down from his job as host of University Challenge. But even in the face of adversity, he remains defiant.
‘It’s not like someone’s chopping your arm or leg off, so you have time to adapt,’ says Jeremy. ‘I’d rather it didn’t debilitate me to the point of incapacity, but I refuse to be beaten by it.’
Charity president… Jane Asher