Chris Kamara: Former professional footballer and manager turned beloved British football pundit, known for Sky Sports' Soccer Saturday, now living with apraxia of speech.
What this episode covers
Chris Kamara joins Stephen Bartlett for an emotional conversation spanning his difficult childhood as the only Black family on his estate in Middlesbrough during the racist 1960s. He shares painful memories of his father's gambling and physical treatment of his mother, his unexpected route into football via the Navy, and the racism he faced throughout his playing career. The heart of the episode is his diagnosis of an underactive thyroid and then apraxia of speech, which nearly ended his broadcasting career. Chris describes feeling like a fraud, the treatments he has pursued, and how his wife Anne and family have supported him. He reflects on how his story now helps others struggling with similar conditions.
Recommended on this episode
Zing Performance
Zing Performance
“he got zing performance which is really exercises for stroke victims but it's helped my balance”— guest:Chris Kamara
Also referenced (named, not recommended)
Alex Scott's autobiography
Alex Scott
“her book comes out in 10 days time in the book i was reading about how um she's never spoken about it before publicly”— Stephen Bartlett
Arc Performance
Arc Performance
“arc performance which is micro currents going through my body i still i have a tag on my ankle now with those micro currents going through all the time”— guest:Chris Kamara
Ninja Warrior UK: Race for Glory
ITV
“i know you guys showed ninja warrior uk race for glory um which is airing on itv which i'm very excited about watching as well”— Stephen Bartlett
Big reveals from this episode
- Chris reveals he told his dying father on his deathbed that his physical treatment of his mother was wrong, and now regrets it.
- His first memory of racism was at age eight, when a woman in a shop told him to go back where he came from.
- Chris discloses he has two conditions: an underactive thyroid and apraxia of speech.
- It took nearly a year, almost 20 months, before he was finally diagnosed with the underactive thyroid.
- He nearly quit all broadcasting at the end of last season, planning to leave Sky, BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5.
- Chris admits he now feels like a fraud in broadcasting, believing he no longer brings what he used to.
- Police had to escort him to a match because the National Front had threatened to harm him.
Worth remembering
- Chris had to light the coal fire to heat the home from the age of eight.
- His father frog-marched him to the recruitment office and made him join the Navy to keep him out of trouble.
- He got his football break in the Navy, scoring two goals from the wing and being drafted straight into the team.
- Portsmouth bought him out of the Navy for the sum of 200 pounds.
- At Millwall, spit landed on his back when taking a throw-in, and he never took a throw-in there again.
- He wears an ankle tag delivering micro currents through his body for seven hours every day as treatment.
- His Sky broadcasting break came when Jerry Francis got stuck on the M4, leaving Chris to cover six hours of TV.
- Chris met his wife Anne in 1978 while at Swindon; they have been together over 40 years.