Jonathan Ross has opened up about his daughter Betty’s fibromyalgia diagnosis.
On Friday’s episode of Loose Women (30 December), the chat show host revealed that “it’s been a tough couple of years for [Betty] in particular.”
He said this his 30-year-old daughter is “slowly getting better”, explaining the effect of her condition.
“She has fibromyalgia and she has chronic fatigue syndrome and POTS syndrome as well, which is where your heart rate shoots up.”
Ross, 62, shared that Betty has been undergoing a treatment called The Perrin Technique, and that “she’s definitely showing some improvement”.
“She can’t walk very far,” Ross continued. “We got her an electric wheelchair in the summer, so we can at least go out and go for walks with the dogs and that’s lifted her spirits a lot.”
The Jonathan Ross Show host explained the mental impact of living with a “debilitating” illness fibromyalgia.
“If anyone out there who knows or who’s got someone with a long-term illness, you know, it’s the depression,” he said.
“Being stuck indoors and not being able to join in with things because even stairs are a challenge to her. So if we’re going out we have to give her plenty of time to get ready, get downstairs and then have a rest before we go to the next step, you know.”
Ross went on to say that there is “good news”, saying that Betty is showing improvement and “feeling better in herself”.
He added: “So we’re relieved and we’re happy with that.”
Ross continued by explaining that he struggles with his role as a father when his parental instinct kicks in.
He continued: “I’m terrible at that as well, even if my wife [Jane Goldman] tells me something’s wrong in her day, I have to try and remind myself that sometimes I just need to listen. Because as soon as she tells me something, I go ‘Well, I’ll phone this guy and I’ll do this’ and she goes ‘Okay, I don’t… I’m not interested, I just wanted to tell you I had this bad day.’
“Because my immediate instinct and I think this is common to a lot of people, men in particular, is if there’s a problem, fix it. Not - there’s a problem, share it. Because I don’t really want to be in an unhappy place ever,” he explained.
The TV presenter said that he is “learning” throughout the process and often reminds himself that his daughter needs to be listened to.
He then quipped: “And I’m still a very young man, so I’ve got plenty of time… to master it!”
Ross has two other children with his wife, the screenwriter Jane Goldman; a son Harvey, 27, and a daughter Honey, 24.
