'The Chase' star Paul Sinha: 'I won't let Parkinson's dictate how I live my life'

The Chase star Paul Sinha has admitted he does worry about how his Parkinson’s will affect his brain as his mind is vital for his job.

The TV star and comedian, 50, announced last year that he had been diagnosed with the disease.

Appearing on ITV’s Loose Women, Sinha said he would not let the illness dictate his life.

But he told the show’s hosts that he does worry about any affect on his brain - and that he would walk away from the show if it had an impact on his quizzing ability.

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“How could I not worry?” he asked.

“The brain is my job, and not just as a stand-up comedian. Yes, of course it worries me. I want my brain to be as good as possible.”

The quizzer - who is known as “The Sinnerman” on the show - said that, so far, he is pleased to say that his brain has “been operating at full whack”.

“Yes, I'm tired from time to time but as anyone that’s quizzed with me in the last six months will tell you, I am answering questions very, very rapidly indeed,” he said.

According to the NHS website, Parkinson’s is a condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years. Symptoms include involuntary shaking of particular parts of the body, slow movement and stiff and inflexible muscles.

However, Sinha told the Loose Women ladies that he “won't let the disease dictate how I live my life”.

“I refuse to live in the future, I only want to live in the present and enjoy the present," he said.

Sinha said he is “on fire” with his general knowledge right now but that if he ever does get to the point where Parkinson’s has affected his ability to answer quick questions on The Chase, he will be the one to walk away.

“The Chase won't fire me,” he said. “I'll say, 'Look, it's been a lovely journey. You've treated me very, very well and see you later’.”

Sinha opened up about his diagnosis in June last year, telling fans on Twitter: “I have Parkinson's disease. I will fight this with every breath I have.”

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He said he intended to "keep Chasing, keep writing and performing comedy [and] keep quizzing".

“A lot of people have asked 'What can I do to help?'" he said. "The answer is to treat me exactly the same as before."