Chris Kamara can be seen in tears when speaking on his speech problem and felt the need to quit Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday.
Kammy revealed his apraxia of speech diagnosis left him feeling as though someone else has control of his voice box and wakes up every day worried.
The broadcaster revealed his diagnosis back in March, amid concerns from Soccer Saturday viewers along with his friends and family. He took a temporary break from the show, before deciding in April that the 2021-22 season would be his last on the programme.
Despite leaving Sky Sports, a decision he has maintained was made at the right time, he continues to work in broadcasting. The 64-year-old has opened up on the challenges brought by his condition.
“I feel a fraud. I don’t bring to the table what I used to.”
In this deeply moving clip, @chris_kammy opens up on his battle with the speech disorder apraxia pic.twitter.com/1ihBFybGO9
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) September 12, 2022
It’s incredibly brave of Chris Kamara to open up to the world about what he’s been going through like this.
Seeing him is heartbreaking but is a perfect reminder of what a fantastic man he is. ❤️
— HLTCO (@HLTCO) September 12, 2022
“It feels like someone has taken over my voice box,” Kamara told The Diary of a CEO.. “The voice that used to come out would come out at 300 miles an hour, you’ve seen me on the results and Soccer Saturday, motormouth, talking and not even waiting for a breath, just keep going and going.
“Now when I hear myself or see myself on TV it’s someone else. It’s really strange.
“Some days the message from the brain to the mouth is really slow and makes it difficult, or some days the words come out different than what you’re trying to say and that’s even weirder. So that’s been hard to accept, and [is] still hard to accept.”
Kamara said he believed the time was right to leave Sky Sports after “a great innings”. However, with the apraxia of speech impacting his other work – including giving him anxiety about delivering lines on broadcasts when not feeling like his old self – he considered walking away from TV altogether.
“I have to say, I was going to quit everything – literally every single bit of TV – at the end of last season,” he said.It was an acceptance, really, because what I said to my wife is if I wasn’t a broadcaster it wouldn’t matter, would it. She said ‘yeah’, so I said now’s the time. I’ve had a great time.
“I spoke to my agent Simon, said I’m getting out of all this and he said ‘yeah, you can, I’ll leave it up to you’. So I thought ‘that’s it, I’ve done my time’. I’d like to thank all the people who have been persistent and said a 25% Kammy is still better than some people.”
I can’t help but be reminded of this superb tribute to Chris Kamara that Sky Sports put together when he decided to leave.
An absolute legend of football broadcasting.
— HLTCO (@HLTCO) September 12, 2022
Fans were left emotional, showing support to a Chris Kamara in tears speaking on his speech problem and feeling the need to quit Soccer Saturday…
@TheCitySing: I love kammy!! Wonderful bloke
@TracyGreaves24: Absolutely love Kammy 🥺
@WhiteHartKane_: Absolute legend. Can’t imagine anyone having a bad word to say about him. A rare breed.
@WTomos1: He’s doing fantastically well. You only need to listen to his podcast with Ben to hear the improvement due to the work he jumped into doing
@jimmylees: Kammy is a credit to not just Teesside, but the whole of the UK. A wonderful human who has brought so much joy to the world. I’m looking forward to seeing the great man tell his story.
@matt_ta_87: After watching that I just want to give him a hug
@EmJ1076: I’m crying at this preview, let alone when I actually listen to the podcast!
@ads586: You certainly aren’t a fraud @chris_kammy You are a legendary football pundit and an all round top top bloke.
@MJ90113368: If there is one man in broadcasting/football that people will get behind and support, its Kamara. Nobody will care a jot if he is a little slower or needs more time. TV is a better place with him on it!!
@phanley55: The mans a legend. Bravery if I’ve ever seen it. Well done 👍
@LoughneyPaul: what a fantastic bloke and kind bloke, so naturally funny and such a shame. hang on in there kammy #fighter
@JohnMcKay68: The man’s a national treasure. My daughter had the pleasure of meeting him recently and tells me he’s as every bit the wonderful person he comes across as on tv. Stay positive Kammy!
@Josh_Hintonn: Absolute legend of a man ❤️
@Leeds9whites: Go on kammy! Iconic Leeds player for my generation, hard as nails too. Everyone in football loves you mate! You got this 🤜🏽
@MrH71748444: Smashing fella. Has been a massive part of football. I wish him all the best for the future
@stuart77272519: So sad , love the man 💙
@KateElizF: This is heartbreaking 💔
@GreenArmy46: Very touching story, god bless you kammy 🙏🏼
@Chicken_Donner: Wow, thats tough seeing Kammy emotional. Never met a nicer person, he took my football team Bradford to Wembley and won promotion. My mum god rest her, thought the world of him yet had never met him, thats the image this guy leaves on people.
@N_m_93: Chris is always a legend. What a man
@SilkyJohnson2nd: I love this man. Thank you @chris_kammy for brightening my screen for the past few decades. YNWA You’ll always have me supporting you.
@muzzaffc1990: Bumped into Kammy in a pub in Hammersmith before Fulham away at QPR where he was having a pint and talking to everyone who came up to him. One of the nicest men in football and a pleasure to watch on TV. Kammy and fraud don’t belong in the same sentence.
@red_devil_pete: Keep strong Kammy you will be back ❤️
@BlazeMeister78: Genuinely upset by this 😭 We’re all with you, Kammy 🙏
@TheOnlyMarky: This is beautiful yet painful. I understand so much of what he’s gone through. Not admittedly the racism but the violence in the family home. I had both parents being physical against me. Yet I still loved them. But the pain lingers. Thank you.
@JamesPaulWarren: Legend! We’re With You Kammy 👏👏👏💪💪💪💞💞💞
@VicVinegar75: My God. Just watching that trailer was extremely upsetting. No sure if I’d get through the whole podcast.
@therealgsj: This is going to be a heartbreaking watch. A man we are so used to seeing as a larger than life figure in recent years, now looking to be a shadow of the man he was
@ScottyT9804: Heartbreaking to watch. Mans an absolute legend 👏
@EoinB93: Very sad this, Kammy made Soccer Saturday. 🙏🏻
@simeone26: Will be a tough watch. Loved watching Kammy over the years. What a bloke!
@BickMash: My mate met him on a night out and said he was exactly like he is on tv ‘have you had a good night lads? Where are you going? Who do you support? Etc so sad to see
@darrianJR: I met him on a train years ago and he was a great laugh. Stopped for a photo with me and we chatted about the weekends game I was going to (Spurs) and he was adamant we were going to win. We lost to Wigan… great bloke though
‘I never in a million years expected that response, but everyone has been so brilliant, so kind’ ❤️
TV legend @chris_kammy recently revealed he was being treated for apraxia speech disorder. pic.twitter.com/pCltKsSKvF
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) March 25, 2022
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