'It doesn't define who you are': Chris Kamara tears up in TV interview about speech disorder

Legendary football pundit Chris Kamara says having a speech disorder "doesn't define who you are" following his own diagnosis.

The 64-year-old became visibly emotional during an interview on ITV's Good Morning Britain while speaking about apraxia of speech - a neurological condition which affects the brain pathways involved in planning the movements needed to speak.

Kamara, who is affectionately known as "Kammy" and renowned for his famous catchphrase "Unbelievable Jeff!", stepped back from live presenting in 2022 after fans noticed he was slurring his words.

Speaking to Ben Shephard and Susanna Reid on Thursday, he said: "I thought [it] defined me, so my apologies to everybody out there who's got a speech condition because it doesn't define who you are.

"I get upset about talking about it because I was in denial, I was ashamed that I couldn't speak."

Turning to the thousands of messages of support he's received, he said: "Once I'd spoken about it, you get it off your chest and realise that everyone's behind you."

The former professional footballer and Bradford City manager, who is from Middlesbrough but now lives in Wakefield, also thanked presenter Kate Garraway for recommending an experimental treatment which he feels has helped him.

What is apraxia of speech (AOS)?

Also known as acquired apraxia of speech or verbal apraxia, AOS is a neurological disorder that affects the brain pathways involved in planning the sequence of movements involved in producing speech.

The brain knows what it wants to say, but cannot properly plan and sequence the required speech sound movements.

The condition is not caused by weakness or paralysis of the speech muscles, which results in a separate speech disorder, known as dysarthria.

The severity of AOS varies from person to person. It can be so mild that it causes trouble with only a few speech sounds or with pronunciation of words that have many syllables.

In the most severe cases, someone with AOS might not be able to communicate effectively by speaking, and may need the help of alternative communication methods.

Is it treatable?

Speech-language pathologists use different approaches to treat AOS, and no single approach has been proven to be the most effective.

In severe cases, adults and children with AOS may need to find other ways to express themselves, including sign language.

On X, Kamara once wrote: "Some days it can be a little slow and some days it's normal. Hopefully I can beat this!"

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