Strictly to have defibrillator on standby for Krishnan Guru-Murthy's heart issue
Krishnan Guru-Murthy has revealed show medics will have a defibrillator on standby when he makes his dance floor debut.
The Channel 4 news reader suffers from a genetic heart condition - hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - which has killed two of his cousins. It means the 53-year-old has to be careful not to raise his heartbeat to dangerous levels, classed as the “final 15 percent red zone”.
Krishnan said: “I’ve just got to be sensible and listen to my body. For somebody like me, I’ve got that condition that Elvis had and footballers have when they can suddenly drop… you know that one. The task for me is more about training and not raising my heart level for long periods of time than dancing a two minute dance.
Show medics will have a defibrillator on standby when he makes his dance floor debut (BBC/Ray Burmiston)
The Channel 4 newsreader has the genetic heart condition hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (PA)“It’s about having a rest, and I’m very good at having a rest. There isn’t an ambulance on standby for me, but there will be a defibrillator for me somewhere in the building. Yes, I have a heart condition but it doesn’t mean you can’t do Strictly.”
The dad of two, who is a keen cyclist, said he had turned down opportunities to compete in the dance competition in the past, but his wife Lisa had finally convinced him.
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He said: “My wife was the first person I asked. It just felt like the right time to let some joy in my life and not be too serious. Everyone’s been very positive except my 16 year old son - he’s not a fan. He said, ‘Oh god, there are going to be terrible videos of you on the internet forever’. I practiced half a routine in the kitchen last night and they were all kind of looking away…”
The Channel 4 newsreader will face off against 14 other celebs for the Glitterball trophy, including Les Dennis and Angela Rippon. But he dismissed the theory that future interviewees on TV will see him as a soft touch following his stint.
He told the Observer on Sunday: “I’ll carry on doing what I do. It would be very funny if anyone dared take me less seriously going into an interview.”
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