On This Morning today (April 25), singer Tony Christie made a devastating admission concerning his health.
The legendary singer joined Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield on the happy occasion of his 80th birthday, but it seemed he also had some sad news to share.
However, the (Is This The Way To) Amarillo star isn’t planning on slowing down any time soon though. He will be embarking on a new tour at the end of May, followed by recording two albums in two weeks. This is despite the health condition that Tony recently revealed he is battling.
This Morning today: Tony Christie issues dementia update
In January, Tony went public with the news that he had been diagnosed with the early stages of dementia. The singer discussed this huge diagnosis with Holly and Phil, saying that he isn’t letting the illness hold him back.
I said to my wife: ‘What’s wrong, are they making it more difficult or is it me?’
“I can still sing, I can still do my shows, I can still travel,” he said, before confessing: “The only thing is I forget names.”
Tony also opened up about another lifelong hobby of his that has been impacted by his dementia, and in fact, was the warning sign that prompted him to go to the doctors in the first place.
‘It’s not affecting me other than crosswords’
After loving his cryptic crosswords for over 50 years, Tony suddenly realised he was having trouble doing them. He recalled the devastating moment of realisation that something might be wrong with him, rather than the crosswords simply getting harder.
“One my big things for 50 years is crosswords, cryptic crosswords. And then suddenly I started to have problems doing it. I said to my wife: ‘What’s wrong, are they making it more difficult or is it me?’ And she said: ‘Let’s go and see a specialist.'”
Tony added: “She gave me X-rays and everything and said you’ve got the early stages of dementia. I said: ‘I’m not bothered, it’s not affecting me other than the crosswords.'”
However, Tony seems to be doing his best to remain upbeat in spite of it all. He said that he feels fortunate to be so involved in music. It’s an activity proven to have a positive effect on those with dementia.
Although he initially tried to “ignore” his diagnosis, he is now focused on reducing the stigma surrounding it.
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