Chris Kamara opened up about his apraxia journey on BBC Breakfast, sharing how singing has helped him regain his voice and connect with fans.
Middlesbrough: Chris Kamara recently appeared on BBC Breakfast, and it was quite the heartwarming moment. He talked about his ongoing battle with apraxia of speech. It’s a condition he’s been dealing with since March 2022.
During the show, he shared how joining a choir of Bradford City fans has really helped him. It’s been a positive experience for him, and he seemed genuinely happy talking about it.
When host Jon Kay asked how singing has helped, Chris joked, saying he could never sing before, so it hasn’t changed much. Everyone had a good laugh at that. But then he got serious, explaining that singing actually helps him regain fluency in his voice.
He also mentioned his time on The Masked Singer UK, where he sang in a Scottish accent. He found it easier to sing that way, which was interesting to hear. He even showed off the accent live on air!
Chris stressed the importance of practice for his recovery. He said, “To get my voice back, I have to keep practising. Singing is a way of enabling that situation to come back.”
In exciting news for Bradford City fans, they’ll soon get singing lessons from the BBC Singers and Orchestra as part of the Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture celebrations. How cool is that?
With support from Chris, opera star Lesley Garrett, and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, fans are in for a treat. Their journey will be shared on Radio Leeds, and they can also check out ‘Bantam of the Opera’ on BBC Sounds starting in April.
Chris highlighted how important this year is for both the city and the football club. He believes music and singing can really uplift people, especially for mental health. He’s always found comfort in music, even during tough times.
