This Morning viewers spoke out in defence of Ben Shephard after his appearance on the show alongside Chris Kamara was questioned. The Good Morning Britain star sat alongside legendary sports pundit Chris better known to many as Kammy - as he opened up on the impact of living with a speech condition on the ITV daytime show.
Earlier this year Kammy left Sky Sports after 24 years. The former footballer made the decision after he revealed he had developed the speech disorder, apraxia. He first spoke out about the condition in March after fans messaged him to ask if he was okay as he appeared on the weekly show Soccer Saturday.
Later, appearing on Good Morning Britain, where he was heaped with praise from viewers, Kammy said: "My Apraxia, when it's bad stops those signals from that brain going to that mouth so it slows it's down. In fact, at times it slurs the words as well. So people are looking and thinking, 'Is he alright? Is he drunk?'"
Kammy has since stepped back from other work commitments but is back with a new ITV documentary, entitled Chris Kamara: Lost For Words. Appearing on This Morning to chat to host Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary about the show, Kammy said "today is a good day" but prior to his diagnosis, he admitted: "I thought, I’m going to wake up one day and it’s all gone."
Discussing his diagnosis, he said: "It was in 2019 but I told no one, you know when something isn't quite right. I knew if I spoke in long sentences, I couldn't get the words out. I thought I'm going to wake up one day and it'll all be gone.
"I went to see the doctor in 2020 and they done tests and it was an underactive thyroid. It cured my thyroid but the delay of not seeing the doctor sooner caused issues. Then the speech issue came along which could have been the thyroid, but we don't know.'"
He went on to say: "We take for granted when we speak, it’s natural but the message from [my] brain somehow gets confused and the words come out wrong, or they come out slow… or they don’t come out at all.
"My voice was my life so that was hard to accept. That’s why I kept it quiet, I thought there’s no way I can tell anybody. I continued doing programmes and all of a sudden, people are tweeting me or asking my friends, ‘Is he ok? Is something wrong with him? Is he drunk? He’s slurring his words, he sounds slow’. That’s when eventually my good mate here [Ben] got me to spill the beans on GMB."
Ben, who joined Kammy on the sofa, said: "He was naturally very concerned because what Kammy doesn’t want is for him to feel the victim, for anyone to feel sorry for him." Complimenting his friend, and Ninja Warrior UK co-star, Ben added: "He is a national treasure. Going out with Kammy is like going out with Justin Beiber, it’s a nightmare.
"You can’t go anywhere without people stopping him for photographs or pictures, they all just want to say it, and that’s been really lovely for him to see that warmth and spirit." He later said: "You're throwing everything at it, that’s the point, everything and anything you can.
"Fortunately Kammy is in a position where he can do these things as well and the problem is that not everyone that’s going through this has that opportunity, because they can’t afford it or they don’t get offered the chance to go and try it.
"That’s the most important thing for me, and we’ve talked about this a lot, for Kammy right now, the most important part of what he’s doing is trying to help people out there that don’t have a voice, that potentially could benefit from."
Discussing the upcoming documentary, Ben added: "It’s full of hope and optimism and that’s what we want people to take from it." But as some questioned why Ben appeared on the show, others were quick to respond.
@missohlola said: "For support, its his best friend!" @SmalesRachel echoed: "For support! They are best friends." @NicolRogers16 separately shared: "Aww ben is his biggest cheer leader #ThisMorning." Others were quick to praise Kammy.
@BigLadMd tweeted: "@chris_kammy @benshephard Great to see you guys on #ThisMorning raising awareness of #Apraxia Much love & respect to you Kammy #Legend." @Gez_M0NTC said: "@chris_kammy inspiring interview on #ThisMorning .. well done, Loving @benshephard aswell.. Merry Christmas lads."
@watling_a wrote: "Watching #ThisMorning with @chris_kammy what a brave and great guy and putting it out there well done Kammy such a funny man love him to bits and well done keep up the good work with @benshephard." @CarrollsClobber shared: "Quite a hard watch this, @chris_kammy on #ThisMorning. Very brave man." @Beckie_Miller_ added: "We’re all behind you Kammy. Sending lots of love #ThisMorning."
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