A LEGENDARY kids TV star has revealed that his “frightening” health battle left him unable to walk before his seven stone weight loss.
The BBC star, known as the ‘godfather of gunge’ throughout the 90s, first noticed something was seriously wrong when he was performing in a panto on stage.
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A legendary kids TV star has revealed that his “frightening” health battle left him unable to walk before his seven stone weight loss Credit: BBC
The BBC star, known as the ‘godfather of gunge’ throughout the 90s, first noticed something was seriously wrong when he was performing in a panto on stage Credit: Alamy
During his stint in Jack And The Beanstalk, Dave Benson Phillips, 61, knew there was something wrong with his body.
He explained: “I began getting tingling in my legs and to lose mobility. It was very slow, but it was very painful. It was quite scary.”
Dave who hosted shows such as CBBC’s Get Your Own Back – with the legendary Gunge Tank – had known he was prediabetic due to routine blood tests – a condition that affects one in nine Brits and puts them at high risk of developing full-blown diabetes.
And although he always liked his food and sugars he thought it was never going to happen to him because he thought he was in good health.
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Dave is urging people to lose weight and watch their diet, especially if they’ve been diagnosed with prediabetes Credit: Redferns
The key symptoms of diabetes you must know
The NHS states you should visit your GP as soon as possible if you experience any of the main symptoms of diabetes which include:
feeling very thirsty
peeing more frequently than usual, particularly at night
feeling very tired
weight loss and loss of muscle bulk
itching around the penis or vagina, or frequent episodes of thrush
cuts or wounds that heal slowly
blurred vision
But, 10 years ago, Dave’s condition got worse and he said: “At one point for a week or so, I couldn’t walk.”
At the hospital, he was given a confirmed diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, a condition where the hormone insulin doesn’t work properly in the body and the level of glucose becomes too high.
Speaking to The Mail, he recalled: “I realised it was my own doing, my own fault. But it was still an incredible shock. It was a frightening thing.”
The TV star began taking medication to lower his blood sugar levels and managed his condition with a better diet.
However, in 2020 Dave also had a minor heart attack and he explained: “I was just posting a birthday card one night.
“It was like somebody had got a spiky nailed shoe and pushed it into my chest. It was a real wake-up call.”
At the time Dave weighed 19 stone, but due to a combination of his new diet and walking – he lost a whopping 7 stone.
To keep track of his diabetes, Dave now wears a Dexcom ONE+ glucose monitor.
He said: “You just put it on your arm and it monitors everything in real time so you can manage what you eat.
“It’s linked to an app on your phone and has made having diabetes a lot easier, because it takes away all the guess work.”
Dave is urging people to lose weight and watch their diet, especially if they’ve been diagnosed with prediabetes.
He added: “I’ve had a real battle. I don’t like the fact that there’s things I’ve had to give up.
“But having diabetes made me aware of making good decisions about my lifestyle. I want to be around for as long as possible.”
