Luton-born star of The Chase, Paul Sinha, ‘prepared for challenges ahead’ after Parkinson’s diagnosis

The 49-year-old Chaser has taken to Twitter this week to reveal the news and has also written on his blog how he is prepared for the challenges ahead.

Paul, who has appeared at Luton Town’s Specs Comedy Club in the past and is referred to by fans of The Chase as the smiling assassin, received his devastating diagnosis on May 30.

Paul revealed that his ill health began in September 2017 with the sudden onset of a frozen right shoulder, which developed into a right-sided limp, then an unexpected diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes followed.

He wrote: “I spent May this year in New Zealand simultaneously having the comedy month of my life, and worrying about why a right-sided limp was now getting worse. Behind the facade of the cheerful, late night comedy festival drunk was a man deeply scared about facing the truth when back in the UK.

“It has been a really, really tough two weeks. Cancelling my run at the Edinburgh Fringe, missing the World Quizzing Championships to have brain scans, performing club sets whilst emotionally bewildered, and of course working my way through my loved ones, delivering the bad news.

“With the diagnosis now confirmed, and a treatment plan in place, I now feel far more prepared for the new challenges ahead.”

Paul, whose father once worked as a surgeon at the L&D, added: “I have an amazing family, no strangers to serious medical illness, I’m blessed to have a fiance who is there for me, and I have a multitude of friends and colleagues whom I consider to be exceptional human beings. I don’t consider myself unlucky, and whatever the next stage of my life holds for me, many others have it far worse.

“ 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. 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.”