Inside The Chase star Paul Sinha’s battle with Parkinson's disease

Paul Sinha was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019 at the age of 49. Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition that affects the brain and central nervous system, causing damage to cells over a number of years.

The Chase star, who turns 54 today (May 28) announced the news in a candid post shared in June 2019. The quizzer admitted he had no idea of his diagnosis as doctors believed his symptoms were a sign of a frozen shoulder.

Taking to Twitter, now known as X, he said: "I have Parkinson's disease. I will fight this with every breath I have. In the time since my Parkinson’s started I have been ludicrously busy, and fully intend to keep Chasing, keep writing and performing comedy, keep quizzing and keep being hopeless at Tasks."

The former doctor added: "Dancing on Ice is, I suspect, out of the question. A lot of people have asked 'What can I do to help?' The answer is to treat me exactly the same as before."

In September 2020, Paul appeared on Loose Women where he opened up about his battle with the disease.

Talking to the ITV panel, the professional quizzer explained he keeps a positive outlook as it helps him cope with the condition. "I deal with it the best I can. I try to enjoy life and prove it's worth living," he said.

With dream jobs on The Chase and performing as a stand-up comedian, Paul told viewers he considers himself "lucky", adding: "I'm just unlucky in one area of his life." Paul appeared on Loose Women once again in April 2022 in light of Parkinson's Awareness Week, sharing an update on his health.

"I am fine, to be honest with you," Paul responded when Kaye Adams asked how he was. "I was diagnosed in 2019 which was a bit of a shock to the system, having spent two years with a troublesome right shoulder."

The TV star continued: "But to be perfectly honest with you, Covid has been more part of my life than Parkinson's because Parkinson's is quite a slow process compared to a global pandemic. So I've had more worries with Covid than Parkinson's because I'm not quite where I was two years ago for sure but I'm still fighting fit."

Touching upon the difficulties he's faced since his diagnosis, Paul confessed the hardest task for him that day was putting his shirt on. "The most difficult thing for me today was actually putting this shirt on," he said.

Admitting he needed the help of his husband, Paul continued: "I had to wake up, find the shirt and then wake Oliver up and say, 'Put the shirt on for me'. Everything you usually take for granted just takes longer. You can see that I am sitting here with my right hand not moving much, that's its default state. Everything you take for granted just takes longer to do."

Last year, the expert quizzer admitted he doesn't know how much longer he will be able to perform as a comedian. Paul incorporates singing and music in his performances but pointed out that he will eventually be unable to play the keyboard.

"Eventually I won't be able to play the keyboard at all, so while I still can, I've turned myself into a musical comedian," he explained on Good Morning Britain. "The audience know I can't really sing, and I'm not especially good at the keyboard, but they know that because I've got Parkinson's."

Paul, better known as The Sinnerman on The Chase, has always kept a "positive outlook" on his condition, saying: "I think that's really, really important for your own health.

"There's been a lot of discussion obviously today about neurological illnesses for very sad reasons, but I want to reiterate the fact that having a positive attitude is good for your health and will help slow down the disease."

Later in the year, Paul revealed he was no longer able to drive due to his Parkinson's. He also admitted he wouldn't be able to get by without the assistance of his husband, Oliver Levy, as he is now "much more dependent" on him.

In the run up to his Edinburgh Fringe performance in August 2023, Paul appeared on the RHLSTP podcast where he confessed time was "running out" for his stand-up career.

Paul, who has been on The Chase since it first kicked off in 2011, said: "I have no idea how long I'm going to be a stand-up for, because I get more tired with every passing year. I just want to go up and do a show that is fun."

He added: "Without wishing to sound bleak, my time is running out. I don't know to what degree my time is running out. It could be five years, it could be 10. I just want to go, 'I'm enjoying myself'. I think it's important to end your career with no regrets."

Paul issued an update on his health earlier this month, explaining he wants to show the world that having Parkinson's is the not the end of somebody's story.

He told Daily Star: "I'm trying to prove to the world that Parkinson’s doesn’t have to be the end of somebody’s story… that you can carry on doing the things you love. The important thing is to not let it define you."

Paul said that he has "massive pride" in his role on The Chase because it requires speed and quick reflexes. "I feel that I've shown in the past three or four years that you can do it whilst having Parkinson's. There's no limit to what you feel you're able to do," he told the publication.

With his role on the ITV show aiding him in measuring his Parkinson's progression, Paul admitted he will know when the time is right to give up his job as a chaser.

He said: "It's a good way of measuring my brain's ability and function. I've always said that if I felt that the ability was going down, I'd call it myself, and I still stand by that. But it's definitely not going down, so that's fine."