An ex-BBC presenter has been diagnosed with Parkinson's after candidly admitting he struggled to open Waitrose packaging.
Mark Mardell, 65, who previously worked as BBC News' Europe and North America editor and hosted The World This Weekend on BBC Radio 4, shared the news on Roger Bolton's Beeb Watch podcast.
He said: "I'm feeling fine and dandy, but I have to share with you that I have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, which means my voice is rather strange and weak... I've lost a bit of my boom.
"And I'm getting used to being the quietest person in the room rather than the loudest.
"But generally it's in the stage of just being annoying rather than anything terrible."
Parkinson's disease is a condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged. It causes problems, including shaking and stiffness that get worse over time.
Opening up about when he first spotted the symptoms, Mark continued: "I started thinking at the beginning of the year, Waitrose are making their packaging really hard to get into these days.
"What's this about?
"And then I found my arms suddenly lifting above my head for no particular reason, or at least staying there."
Revealing his friend, who is a physiotherapist, also spotted his symptoms, Mark revealed the most worrying part of the condition is the medicine he has to take.
Doctors say can the prescription can make patients act impulsively.
Mark teased: "(I told them to) watch for gambling, because it's the one vice I've never had. So if I start gambling, you know there's a problem with the pills!"
The broadcaster's news follows that of fellow journalist Jeremy Paxman, who has also been diagnosed with Parkinson's.
In August, the seasoned presenter announced he was stepping down from the BBC show University Challenge after 28 years.
The TV star revealed last year that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, however at the time his symptoms were not reported to be serious.
Jeremy said at then: "I can confirm I have recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. I am receiving excellent treatment and my symptoms are currently mild."
Shan Nicholas, the interim chief executive of Parkinson’s UK, said: “Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world, and Jeremy choosing to speak publicly about his diagnosis will do so much to raise awareness of this much misunderstood condition."
