Michael Barrymore diagnosed with epilepsy
Michael Barrymore has been diagnosed with epilepsy following a mini stroke.
Michael Barrymore has been diagnosed with epilepsy.
The 73-year-old presenter has revealed he has developed the condition - a neurological disorder that causes recurring seizures due to abnormal electrical activity in the brain - after suffering a mini stroke.
In an emotional TikTok video, he revealed: "A mini stroke caused me to develop epilepsy where I have uncontrollable seizures... I suffer from cluster seizures, which affects a quarter of people with epilepsy. It means I have more than one, usually three individual seizures in a short period of time."
The former Strike It Lucky host admitted the condition can be "scary" and he is keen to connect with other sufferers.
He continued: "It's scary because there's a 40% chance of going into epilepticus which causes brain damage and death without prompt medical attention.
"I've had several attacks this year and have emergency medication at home if I go into a seizure. It doesn't really affect my life otherwise, but it would be nice to talk with other sufferers on here about it."
The former Celebrity Big Brother runner-up was once one of the UK’s most prolific and highest-paid television stars but has seen his TV career dwindle after being embroiled in a police investigation over the death of Stuart Lubbock, who passed away in 2001 aged 31 after attending a pool party at the broadcaster’s Essex home.
And Michael - who was never charged over the incident - previously claimed TV companies are not interested in hiring "innocent people".
He told the Daily Star newspaper: “It’s strange that companies don’t employ innocent people. Maybe you have to be guilty to get a job in television, I don’t know. From my experience they don’t employ innocent people.
“It’s unfair, of course. It’s terrible. You’re supposed to support people.
“You’re supposed to support the people that work for you. You’re supposed to be caring.
Michael admitted that it has “taken” him more than two decades to “build up” his confidence since he left television.
He said: “The amount of confidence you need to work the way I did at my peak was phenomenal and that took years to build up. When everything went my confidence was completely smashed. It has taken me 22 years to get that back.”
