Paul Sinha wants TV success to inspire Parkinson’s sufferers

Paul Sinha wants his TV success to inspire other Parkinson’s sufferers.

The quiz show regular, 53, was diagnosed with the condition four years ago, but has refused to ditch his jobs and wants to prove people with the disease can carry on as normal and not let it “define” their lives.

He was quoted in the Daily Star saying: “I’m trying to prove to the world that Parkinson's doesn't have to be the end of somebody's story... that you can carry on doing the things you love. The important thing is to not let it define you."

Paul, dubbed ‘The Sinnerman’ on ITV’s ‘Beat the Chasers’, added: “Whenever I buzz in and get anything right, it's a point of massive pride to me. I feel that I’ve shown in the past three or four years that you can do it whilst having Parkinson’s.

“There’s no limit to what you feel you’re able to do.

“(My quiz job) is a good way of measuring its progression because my results haven't got worse since I got Parkinson’s.

“It’s a good way of measuring my brain’s ability and function.

“I’ve always said that if I felt that the ability was going down, I’d call it myself, and I still stand by that. But it’s definitely not going down, so that’s fine.”

Before his quizzing career on TV shows including ‘The Weakest Link’, ‘Mastermind’, and ‘University Challenge: The Professionals’, Paul was a junior doctor in London before he started stand-up comedy.

Despite his insistence his quizzing makes him feel good, he admitted his Parkinson’s may be impacting his comedy career.

He said: “I have no idea how long I’m going to be a stand-up for, because I get more tired with every passing year.

“I just want to go up and do a show that is fun.”

Paul, who is married to Oliver Levy, also told ‘Richard Herring’s Leicester Square Theatre Podcast’: “Without wishing to sound bleak, my time is running out. I don’t know to what degree my time is running out.

“It could be five years, it could be 10. I just want to go, ‘I’m enjoying myself.’

“I think it’s important to end your career with no regrets.”