Kate Garraway brands Tony Christie 'brave' as he shares update on dementia diagnosis
During a heart-wrenching segment on Good Morning Britain, host Kate Garraway extended her unwavering support to Tony Christie as the 81-year-old singer gave a health update.
The beloved musician had previously made his dementia diagnosis public and talked about its impact in an emotional chat on Tuesday's GMB. With Kate and fellow presenter Ed Ball offering comfort, Tony opened up about his upcoming tour and how he copes with his condition.
Clearly moved, Kate praised Tony's courage: "Not many people will know about this but you received a dementia diagnosis three years ago. It's a challenge for anyone and it's very brave that you talk about it. How is it affecting you at the moment?"
Tony spoke candidly about his experiences: "I just ignore it and obviously when singing I have to use autocue to help me otherwise I'll make a mess of the song and it's the audience that will lose."
Engaging with Tony's love for music, Kate inquired: "So does the music help you?" Revealing the therapeutic power of melodies, Tony said: "Oh music, definitely. When I was diagnosed the doctor said I was very lucky that I'm in the music industry because music is one of the things that helps dementia people so I'm very fortunate," reports the Mirror.
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GMB Kate and Ed supported Tony as he gave a health update (Image: ITV)Ed empathetically joined the conversation, sharing personal insights: "My mum has had dementia for a long time for 20 years and even when she got to the point where it was hard for her to remember but when you started to sing all the words would come back to her and she'll sing along to all her favourite songs."
Tony confessed, "You don't forget the music. You can forget people's names but as soon as music starts you are back and it's just in your memory and you never forget it."
Reflecting on the astonishing response from his fans, he remarked: "It's absolutely unbelievable. When I look down at the audience and I see kids singing along with me I just think 'How do you know this'."
Ed probed: "What is your showstopper, what is the song that everyone loves."
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Tony affirmed: "Well it has got to be Amarillo."
Concluding the interview, Kate chimed in: "We all love that song. Good luck on your tour and good luck with everything. It's great to see you looking so well."
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.
window.topArticlesScript="https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/js/dist/article-top-articles202408011.min.js"Kate Garraway brands Tony Christie 'brave' as he shares update on dementia diagnosis
Kate Garraway brands Tony Christie 'brave' as he shares update on dementia diagnosis
Kate Garraway brands Tony Christie 'brave' as he shares update on dementia diagnosis
Kate Garraway brands Tony Christie 'brave' as he shares update on dementia diagnosis
Kate Garraway brands Tony Christie 'brave' as he shares update on dementia diagnosis
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