'Frozen shoulder' symptom that led to Parkinson's diagnosis for The Chase's Paul Sinha

Paul Sinha, better known as The Sinnerman on ITV's The Chase, has been candid about his Parkinson's Disease diagnosis since 2019. On a recent episode, he shared that his initial symptoms were far from the typical tremors associated with the condition.

The quiz ace, aged 54, experienced sudden and unexplained pain and stiffness in his right shoulder, which he initially dismissed. Despite living his life normally, the persistent discomfort led him to seek medical advice.

After a year of X-rays, scans, injections, and even surgery, all aimed at alleviating his frozen shoulder, the pain persisted. It was only when additional symptoms emerged that Paul realised this wasn't an isolated problem but indicative of a larger health issue.

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It was during a comedy festival in New Zealand in May 2019 that Paul felt an overwhelming sense of foreboding and noticed a limp. A subsequent taxi ride prompted him to look up the connection between Parkinson's and frozen shoulder online, leading to what he described as the "fright of his life" to the .

A year and a half after his first symptom appeared, Paul attended his first neurologist appointment. Although the Parkinson's diagnosis was not good news, he was relieved that it wasn't "something with a faster decline".

He added: "It gave me a diagnosis that I know I have time to do the bucket list things, oddly enough I don't have a bucket list." Despite being diagnosed nearly six years ago, not much has changed for the comedian. However, it's always on his mind, particularly due to his iconic TV work.

Speaking to the Loose Women panel, he said: "As I become physically disabled I can still do The Chase and stand up comedy. If I become more cognitively disabled those things become out of the question for me."

Paul also expressed heartfelt gratitude to his "devoted husband" Oliver Leery. He explained that slowness is a "new thing for me", and while he now has to sit down to put on his trousers in the morning, he thanked Oliver for ensuring he always looks his best when he heads onto TV sets.

He reassured fans that there's been no "dramatic" update, but rather that he is learning to adapt and change his lifestyle around any new obstacles the condition brings up over time. Parkinson's is a progressive disorder, meaning it constantly worsens, and there is currently no cure.

Supportive therapies are available to help manage symptoms, such as physiotherapy to help with pain and stiffness. Occupation therapy to help maintain independence or speech therapy and diet advice where needed.

The explains that the condition is triggered by a loss of nerve cells in a part of the brain responsible for producing dopamine. Without this chemical, the brain and muscles struggle to communicate effectively.

Common symptoms include muscle stiffness, as Paul initially experienced, slowed movement, and the characteristic tremor. Other seemingly unrelated symptoms can include balance problems, loss of sense of smell, excessive sweating, and mild cognitive impairment.