Channel 4 newsreader Krishnan Guru-Murthy suffers from a genetic heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which killed two of his cousins and means he needs to keep his heart rate down
Krishnan Guru-Murthy has revealed show medics will have a defibrillator on standby when he makes his dance floor debut.
The Channel 4 news reader suffers from a genetic heart condition – hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – which has killed two of his cousins. It means the 53-year-old has to be careful not to raise his heartbeat to dangerous levels, classed as the “final 15 percent red zone”.
Krishnan said: “I’ve just got to be sensible and listen to my body. For somebody like me, I’ve got that condition that Elvis had and footballers have when they can suddenly drop⦠you know that one. The task for me is more about training and not raising my heart level for long periods of time than dancing a two minute dance.
“It’s about having a rest, and I’m very good at having a rest. There isn’t an ambulance on standby for me, but there will be a defibrillator for me somewhere in the building. Yes, I have a heart condition but it doesn’t mean you can’t do Strictly.”