Chris Kamara bravely updated fans on his health battle with apraxia of speech (AOS) during an inspiring appearance on Monday’s Breakfast.
The much-loved sports pundit spoke about the neurological condition, which he has been openly handling since its announcement in March 2022.
On the show, Chris discussed how joining a choir of Bradford City supporters for the new series Bantam of the Opera proved to be quite therapeutic.
Host Jon Kay probed, “Chris, you mentioned, as well, about your condition, your apraxia of speech that you’ve talked about. How has singing helped you?”.
To which Chris humorously responded, “Well, the good news is, I could never sing before so it’s not made any difference,” garnering chuckles from the hosts.
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Chris Kamara appeared on BBC Breakfast on Monday (Image: BBC)
He then seriously noted, “But the truth of the matter is, you get more fluency in your voice when you sing so it’s a form of rehab when you’re trying to get your voice back. Singing helps me.”
Furthermore, the former footballer explained the peculiar choice of singing with a Scottish accent on The Masked Singer UK earlier this year.
Revealed as Ghost, the first unmasked celeb of the show’s fourth season, he found it easier to maintain fluency while performing with a Scots accent, even showcasing a brief switch to the twang live on air.
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Jon Kay and Sally Nugent spoke to the sporting icon (Image: BBC)
“But that’s not me,” he elaborated. “To get my voice back, I have to keep practising. Singing is a way of enabling that situation to come back.”, reports Surrey Live.
Bradford City supporters, affectionately dubbed the Bantams, will receive singing lessons from the prestigious Singers and Orchestra for the Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture festivities.
With support from ex-Bradford City boss Chris, alongside opera star Lesley Garrett and esteemed composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, they’re sure to be in good hands. The ensemble’s journey will unfold on Radio Leeds, while fans can tune into ‘Bantam of the Opera’ on Sounds starting in April.
“This in an incredibly important year for Bradford, both the city and the football club,” Chris has declared. “The power of music can be enormous, singing is a great way to bring people together, whilst being so positive for mental health. Singing has always been a part of my life, even when times have been tough.”
Breakfast airs daily on One at 6am