Jeremy Paxman's doctor noticed his Parkinson’s on University Challenge

4 October 2022

Jeremy Paxman's doctor noticed his Parkinson’s while he presented ‘University Challenge’.

Jeremy Paxman says his doctor noticed his Parkinson’s on University Challenge

The ex ‘Newsnight’ anchor revealed he got his diagnosis of the condition - which manifests in tremors, slow movement and immobile muscles - after the specialist noticed he was less “exuberant” and appeared to have what medical professionals label as “Parkinson’s mask” while presenting the BBC Two quiz show.

Speaking about how he ended up in hospital following a fall while walking his dog during ‘Paxman: Putting Up With Parkinson’s’, the 72-year-old broadcaster said: “Well, it was completely out of the blue. I was having a walk in the square across the way. There was ice around and I had the dog with me – the dog was on a lead.

"The first thing I knew was when somebody was sitting me on a bench. I’d fallen over and I made a terrible mess of my face. I’d gone straight down on my hooter, which, as you can see, is not small. Cuts all over the place. I was a real mess. And when I was in A and E, a doctor walked in and said, ‘I think you’ve got Parkinson’s.

"It turned out that he had been watching 'University Challenge' and had noticed that my face had acquired what’s known as the 'Parkinson mask'. I wasn’t as effusive and exuberant as normal. I had no idea.”

Jeremy - who will be replaced by journalist and broadcaster Amol Rajan - felt that people noticed there was something “unusual” after nearly 30 years of presenting the iconic general knowledge quiz.

He said: “I think I’ve been doing 'University Challenge' for about 29 years, which is a very, very long time – too long really. I always think that if you’re scared of making a decision, do it.

"The ‘University Challenge’ people have been brilliant but I do think that I ought to stop doing it. I will be sad to give it up, but no-one is indispensable.

“It’ll become obvious that there’s something funny about me – and I mean unusual, not funny funny. So I don’t want to spoil it for them.”