Strictly's Krishnan Guru-Murthy's tragic condition that could kill him on show

23 September 2023 , 17:00

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A genetic health condition puts Krishnan at risk on Strictly (Image: PA)

As Strictly Come Dancing gets underway for another year a whole host of celebs are now spinning around the dance floor, including Bobby Brazier and Zara McDermott - but one famous face is going to have to be watched closely as he moves, for fear he could drop dead while performing.

Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy has opened up about his genetic heart condition which could impact his performance on the show and means the Strictly crew have to keep a defibrillator on set while he dances. The 53-year-old has been diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which according to the British Heart Foundation is a disease of your heart muscle, where the muscle wall of your heart becomes thickened.

The Channel 4 News presenter has been diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (BBC/Ray Burmiston)

The show is a big change from his regular job (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

The condition, which has killed two of his cousins, can make the heart muscle stiff. This in turn makes it harder for the heart to pump blood out of the heart and around the body. Speaking about his health, Krishnan said that it's important he keeps his 'heart out of the red zone' and said his cardiologist wasn't able to promise him that 'he won't drop dead' while performing.

Krishnan told The Sun: "The basic advice is, I've got to keep my heart out of the red zone, which is the last 15 percent of your heart rate. So, I've got to keep my heart rate below about 140, and I don't know whether you can do that or not, in a 90-second very fast dance. My cardiologist basically said, 'I can't give you a hundred percent guarantee that you won't drop dead, but you'll be fine'. The Charleston will be a challenge, but we'll see."

He continued to say: "I have to listen to my body. I have that condition Elvis had and footballers have when they can suddenly drop. The task for me is more about training and not raising my heart level for longer periods of time than a two-minute dance. There will be a defibrillator for me. I have a heart condition but it doesn't mean you can't do Strictly."

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Despite the risk of taking part on the show, the journalist has full support from his wife, Lisa, who he says has encouraged him to get out of his comfort zone and get on the dancefloor. And after covering difficult news stories in his job such as the Coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine, as well as the cost of living crisis, it seems Krishnan is keen to relieve the 'stress' with something a bit more fun.

Krishnan is partnered with professional dancer Lauren Oakley on Strictly 2023 and the pair will take to the dancefloor for their debut performance on September 23. The journalist has already admitted that he's found training for the show rather 'overwhelming', but claims Lauren urged him to 'just dance' and not to overthink.

Courtney Pochin