On Saturday’s edition of BBC Breakfast, presenters Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty were joined by former BBC News technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones.
Back in 2019, Rory publicly shared his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis after viewers noticed his hand shaking on air.
Having left the BBC in 2021 after a 40-year tenure, Rory made a return to the show to provide an update on his health.
Host Charlie Stayt asked about Rory’s current condition, saying: “Lots of people, BBC Breakfast viewers included, have followed your story very closely. You’ve been so open about how things are. I obviously have to ask you how you are now? How you are today?”
Rory responded: “I’m slowing down a bit, I’m more jerky in my movements. Walking is a bit harder. But, I’m doing ok. I’m partly, hugely motivated by this podcast that we’ve got.”
He continued: “We’ve got a new episode out today about another bit of drug research into something called Mitochondria,” sharing with the presenters that there is much to be intrigued by regarding the disease.
Rory concluded with a note of cautious optimism: “There’s a lot to be hopeful about, but I’m always aware it’s a progressive illness, and the long-term outlook is not great.”
Before chatting with Rory, the BBC hosts shared that over 150,000 individuals in the UK live with Parkinson’s disease, marking it as the most rapidly expanding neurological disorder globally.
Naga Munchetty elaborated on the case of a 51-year-old Bristol man who’s been living with the diagnosis for over two decades.
He has recently undergone a procedure to install an implant that syncs with his brain activity. This innovation lessens his symptoms and enhances his movement capabilities.
A pre-recorded segment featuring the man discussing his experience with another BBC journalist revealed that his symptoms originally manifested in his hands.
Now recognised as the first UK patient to receive this groundbreaking Parkinson’s therapy, John Morgan had a device implanted into his chest and head two years ago, functioning similarly to a pacemaker.
Sharing his insights regarding the medical advancement, Rory remarked: “It is exciting, I think it’s important to stress that this is an upgrade of an existing operation in deep brain stimulation, which is a fairly major thing to have.
“Having somebody drill into your skull and then effectively put a pacemaker under your chest is quite a thing to think about.”
BBC Breakfast airs weekdays on BBC One from 6am