Legendary children's TV presenter Dave Benson Phillips has opened up about his 'very painful' health battle with type 2 diabetes that left him unable to walk. The 61-year-old, best known for hosting the CBBC game show Get Your Own Back, first noticed something was seriously wrong while performing in a pantomime on stage.
The Scary Symptoms
Dave recounted the 'scary' experience during his stint in Jack And The Beanstalk. 'I began getting tingling in my legs and to lose mobility. It was very slow, but it was very painful. It was quite scary,' he told The Sun. Known as the 'godfather of gunge' throughout the 1990s, Dave said he had known he was prediabetic due to routine blood tests—a condition that affects one in nine Brits.
A Gradual Decline
Despite thinking he would never develop full-blown diabetes, Dave's condition worsened around 10 years ago. 'At one point for a week or so, I couldn't walk,' he continued. At the hospital, he received a confirmed diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, a condition where insulin doesn't work properly and glucose levels become too high. The TV star began taking medication to lower his blood sugar and managed his condition with a better diet.
A Heart Attack Wake-Up Call
In 2020, Dave suffered a minor heart attack. 'I was just posting a birthday card one night. It was like somebody had got a spiky nailed shoe and pushed it into my chest. It was a real wake-up call,' he said. At the time, Dave weighed 19 stone but managed to lose a whopping seven stone through a combination of a new diet and walking. To monitor his diabetes, Dave now wears a glucose monitor that 'takes away all the guess work'.
An Urgent Message
The 61-year-old urged people to watch their diet, especially if diagnosed with prediabetes. 'I've had a real battle. I don't like the fact that there's things I've had to give up,' he added. 'But having diabetes made me aware of making good decisions about my lifestyle. I want to be around for as long as possible.'
