Krishnan Guru Murthy on how his family are after he revealed his health issues

Virgin Radio

24 Sep 2023, 16:02

Channel 4 newsreader Krishna Guru-Murthy revealed how his family are feeling after his recent health scare and remarkable weight loss, ahead of his appearance on Strictly Come Dancing.

Newsreader Krishnan Guru-Murthy has opened up about his transformation ahead of his appearance on the hit show Strictly Come Dancing.

The Channel 4 host, embarked on a remarkable weight loss journey, shedding two stone to prepare for the high-energy BBC competition.

Mr. Guru-Murthy, initially weighing nearly 15 stone, felt a pressing need to take control of his health before embarking on the ballroom journey.

He revealed a pivotal moment was when he asked his doctor a stark question: "Will I drop dead live on the BBC?"

Due to a genetic heart condition, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which had claimed the lives of his two cousins, his medical history weighed heavily on his decision.

He acknowledged that his weight had reached a point where no amount of tailoring could conceal the health implications.

The criticism from his teenage son and mother about his weight further fuelled his determination to make a change.

Although now, after potentially turning his health around for the better, it's those family members that are fully supporting him, speaking to virginradio.co.uk and other press: "I should say my mum is delighted. My mum is normally the one who is really kind of like, don't cycle for too long. You shouldn't be going to the gym, you should be worried about your heart and all this kind of stuff. She's actually been really, really enthusiastic about me doing strictly and thinks it's fantastic. And everyone's really positive about it."

Though he did joke: "My whole family except my son, who is a 16 year old and is as embarrassed about it as you'd expect. A 16 year old boy to be. But ya know, it's been fine. And my dad and my dad who is a doctor, and he's got the same condition that I've got is also fairly relaxed about it."

His medical condition made intense training challenging, as he must be cautious about pushing his heart rate into the danger zone.

Despite these challenges, Guru-Murthy found inspiration to overcome his health obstacles and embrace the Strictly Come Dancing challenge.

Having now completed his first routine, which resulted in fans calling him a legend, Guru-Murphy had this to say: "I'm embracing it full on now. With some some worries about what my figure can take. I think it would be good if there were more Spanx for men. But I mean, but yeah, I mean, no, I was initially very boring about it and say, well, I won't, you know, there'll be no glitter and sequins. And now I'm very much. You know, there aren't enough sequins on that."

He recognised the window of opportunity to say, 'Sod it, why not?' and embraced the chance to step out of his comfort zone and onto the dance floor. With the full support of his wife, Lisa, he embarked on this courageous venture, recognising that postponing such opportunities might make them impossible in the future.

As Strictly Come Dancing launches, Guru-Murthy, along with other celebrities, eagerly anticipates finding out their professional dance partners live on air, ready to give it their all despite the challenges presented by his health condition.

Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday nights on BBC One with its live shows. The results shows begin next Sunday.