Through his charismatic presence as host of The Chase, Bradley Walsh has cemented his status as one of Britain’s most beloved television personalities.
With a career that extends into acting and presenting, he has established his place as an all-around entertainer.
However, despite his fame and fortune, he previously revealed a personal tragedy that hangs over the presenter’s head.
Bradley Walsh on losing his dad
When he was diagnosed with high cholesterol at 60, Bradley, who helms The Chase: Celebrity Special this weekend (November 2), was forced to reassess his life. This condition came with significance, as his father had passed away at 59.
He previously opened up to The Sun on Sunday on how the condition made him change his habits.
“I was a time bomb. I produce too much cholesterol. It’s a silent killer. My heart guy said: ‘Look Brad you need to get fit.’ I had a hang-up because my father, Daniel, died at the age of 59. I had it in the back of my mind that I just had to get past my dad’s age. So turning 60 was a bit of a milestone.”
‘He never got to see it’
He has opened up about the impact that his father’s passing had on his life. And told how Daniel never got to see just how much of a success his son had become.
“I was 33 when he passed away. I’d just done the Royal Variety Show performance which helped launch my career, but my dad died from heart failure two weeks after that and never got to see it,” Bradley mused.
This marked a turning point in the presenter’s life. And the loss encouraged him to take better care of his health, quitting fatty foods and alcohol to deter the hereditary threat of heart disease.
Bradley Walsh
The 64-year-old presenter recently opened up about his fears regarding his mortality.
In an interview with RNZ last year, the host admitted that these fears had led him to give up driving his motorbike.
“I don’t ride my motorbike any more,” Bradley admitted. “I’ve got a Harley Davidson, I don’t ride it any more. I think what happens is, as you get older, your mortality sort of hits you and you think, oh I’m not too sure about this.” He explained.
And in an episode of Breaking Dad – where Bradley and his son Barney take on adventurous challenges whilst travelling the world – Bradley chose to opt out of a bungee jump.
The father-and-son duo had planned to bungee jump off the Contra Dam in Switzerland, but Bradley backed out at the last minute.
“The mad thing is, listen to this, back in the day when my father was still alive before he became a cabbie in London, I used to go to work with my dad and my uncle Louis, who were roofers,” he shared.
“So I used to be up ladders on roofs when I was younger, so there was no problem at all.”
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Catch Bradley Walsh hosting The Chase weekdays at 5pm on ITV1. The Celebrity Special airs Saturday (November 2) at 8.10pm on ITV1.
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