Heartbreaking reason The Chase star 'finds it tough' on Edinburgh stages

Edinburgh Live

3 days ago

The Chase star Paul Sinha has been performing at a stand-up comic for decades, though admits he now 'finds it tough' at the Edinburgh Fringe.
The 55-year-old was once a a festival diehard, adding that he excelled in the 'exercise of masochism' of tiny, packed clubs. His 2006 solo show at The Fringe, 'Saint or Sinha?' won several awards - and he's taken to the stage in the capital almost every year since.
However, since his Parkinson's diagnosis in 2019, Sinha admits finding it increasingly difficult, reports Liverpool Echo.
"I now find with my health not being what it was, and my general energy levels, I find it a lot harder – not least the heat," he admitted on Tim Lihoreau's Guess Who's coming To Dinner podcast. "The rooms at the Edinburgh Festival are really hot, the performing rooms, and I find it hard."
After addressing his discomfort, Paul, who celebrated his 55th birthday this week, explained: "I don't think I could ever go to Edinburgh and leave early, because I just wouldn't feel like I was part of the gang.
"You've got to be genuinely suffering to a degree to feel that you're part of the gang."
Paul received his Parkinson's diagnosis in 2019, after "worrying about why a right-sided limp was now getting worse."
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative neurological disorder which causes parts of the brain to become progressively damaged. It's marked by tremors, and problems with balance, as well as sleep abnormalities, psychosis, and mood swings. As of yet, there is no known cure.
Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox
Paul, nicknamed by The Chase fans as The Sinnerman, said that many of his friends, who were still working in medicine, had spotted the early symptoms, but it wasn't until he saw his consultant for a second time that his symptoms were identified.
"I went to see him and he said, 'I've just been watching you on Taskmaster, I wish I'd known. I would have diagnosed you far quicker'," he told The Sun, adding: "there were telltale signs in the way I adjust and move that he said were diagnostic."
Paul said most people are familiar with the tremors that Parkinson's causes, but aren't aware that the disease has other, less common effects on the body.
One of the earliest warning signs of Parkinson's is a loss of sense of smell, which can strike several years before other symptoms develop. Nerve pain, problems with peeing, and memory problems can also be a cause of concern.
Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
Paul recalled on Loose Women how a seemingly innocuous ache was an early warning sign: "I presented one morning with a stiff, painful right shoulder. I never had a stiff joint before," he said. "I didn't think anything of it, I thought, 'this is just going to go away,' and then it just never went away."
Paul works hard to manage his symptoms. Concerned about cognitive decline, he plays an online speed quiz every day at 6pm called Tea Time Trivia to keep his brain sharp: "It's something that's always on your mind because my brain is my tool," he said.
"If I become more physically disabled, I'll still be able to do The Chase and I'll still be able to do stand-up comedy."