Former Leeds United player Chris Kamara admits to feeling ‘too old’ to take part in I’m A Celeb

Chris Kamara has revealed why he turned down the chance to take part in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

The broadcaster and former Leeds United star, 64, from Middlesbrough, who is best known for his role on football programmes including Soccer Saturday, claims he was invited to appear on the ITV show but felt that he was too old.

The 64-year-old told The Sun: “I think I’m too old now.

“The one thing I don’t want is when they do a challenge to try and win food for the camp, and they say: ‘Unfortunately, Chris Kamara can’t do tonight’s challenge because of his illness’”.

Chris added: “People will say, why did you go in there in the first place if you can’t do a challenge? So, it’s maybe not for me anymore.”

Earlier this year, he revealed he is battling apraxia of speech after viewers grew concerned about him when he appeared to slur his words during an appearance on Soccer Saturday.

The condition impacts his ability to speak and had an effect on his punditry and presenting career, meaning he was forced to retire after the 2021/22 football season.

Chris also previously underwent a brain scan to check if he was developing dementia after suffering from what he described as “brain fog”.

He was worried the illness might be related to heading the ball as a footballer, but his symptoms were down to an underactive thyroid, for which he now receives treatment.

Kamara wrote: “Just wanted to let a few of you know who tweeted me today that I am ok-ish. Alongside my Thyroid problem, I have developed Apraxia of Speech & have been working to get my speech back to normal.

“Some days it can be a little slow, and some days it’s normal. Hopefully, I can beat this!”

Chris will soon embark on a very personal journey to gain further insight into his apraxia of speech diagnosis in a televised documentary.

The ITV1 documentary will see the footballing legend give viewers access to his life with apraxia of speech.

Chris said: “This documentary is a very personal one for me. I am really keen to raise awareness about Apraxia of Speech/Dyspraxia. Little is known about it which makes the diagnosis so much harder to navigate. Hopefully, by sharing my story it will raise awareness and also help people who may also be living with this condition by showing them that there are ways to manage it and to still live a fulfilling life.”