Newsreader Krishnan Guru-Murthy has revealed how he lost two stone to prepare for his appearance on Strictly Come Dancing.

The Channel 4 host, 53, was nearly 15 stone when he agreed to take part in the high-energy BBC competition show – which launches at 6.15pm tonight.

Mr Guru-Murthy was pushed to take control of his health ahead of his ballroom journey, telling The Times: ‘Suddenly I felt it was time to say, “Sod it, why not?”

‘And it was probably now or never. The longer I waited, the less likely I’d physically be able to do it.’

it comes after the father revealed that he suffers from the genetic heart condition hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which has led to the death of his two cousins. 

Newsreader Krishnan Guru-Murthy has revealed how he lost two stone to prepare for his appearance on Strictly Come Dancing

Newsreader Krishnan Guru-Murthy has revealed how he lost two stone to prepare for his appearance on Strictly Come Dancing

He remembered asking his doctor a stark question: ‘Will I drop dead live on the BBC?’

‘”Obviously, I can’t give a 100 per cent guarantee”, one of my doctors said in answer. No matter how out of character me doing Strictly might seem to many people, to my mind it was logical. 

‘I had already spent months confronting some uncomfortable truths.’

Mr Guru-Murthy said that as he approached 53, ‘no amount of great tailoring could hide the fact that 14st 11lb when you’re only 5ft 8in is far too much’.

The newsreader said that ‘the self-loathing when I looked in the mirror was growing’.

He recalled his teenage son saying: ‘Dad, you’re so fat!’ and his mother making comments about his stomach before he took the plunge to lose weight. 

The father said his medical history ‘made everything worse’, explaining how he’d had high blood pressure and mild cardiovascular disease ‘for years’. 

It comes after Mr Guru-Murthy revealed he is unable to commit to as intense a training routine in comparison to the other stars due to his heart condition. 

The Channel 4 host, 53, was nearly 15 stone when he agreed to take part in the high-energy BBC competition show - which launches at 6.15pm tonight

The Channel 4 host, 53, was nearly 15 stone when he agreed to take part in the high-energy BBC competition show – which launches at 6.15pm tonight

Earlier this month, he revealed that he suffers from the genetic heart condition hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which has led to the death of his two cousins

Earlier this month, he revealed that he suffers from the genetic heart condition hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which has led to the death of his two cousins

His hypertrophic cardiomyopathy will inhibit his ability to train as hard and intensely as other celebrities, especially in dances that tend to raise the heart rate. 

Talking to The Mirror, he said: ‘I have to be careful of raising my heartbeat into the red zone; that final 15%. 

‘I shouldn’t go there. It’s where people with my condition drop dead.’

The newsreader has the full backing of his wife Lisa, who encouraged his decision to get out his comfort zone and hit the dance floor on Strictly Come Dancing. 

Mr Guru-Murthy was pushed to take control of his health ahead of his ballroom journey, telling The Times : 'Suddenly I felt it was time to say, "Sod it, why not?"

Mr Guru-Murthy was pushed to take control of his health ahead of his ballroom journey, telling The Times : ‘Suddenly I felt it was time to say, “Sod it, why not?”

Mr Guru-Murthy said that as he approached 53, 'no amount of great tailoring could hide the fact that 14st 11lb when you're only 5ft 8in is far too much'

Mr Guru-Murthy said that as he approached 53, ‘no amount of great tailoring could hide the fact that 14st 11lb when you’re only 5ft 8in is far too much’

The newsreader said that 'the self-loathing when I looked in the mirror was growing'

The newsreader said that ‘the self-loathing when I looked in the mirror was growing’

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy causes the wall of the heart chamber to thicken, meaning they can become stiff and reduce the amount of blood taken in and pumped out to the body with each heartbeat.

 Mr Guru-Murthy revealed people have been asking him to do these sort of shows for years.

He said: ‘What if I kept saying no? It might not be physically possible for me to do it now, that remains to be seen. But it certainly won’t be possible in five years.’ 

Strictly Come Dancing will launch tonight, when the celebrities will find out their professional dance partners live on air. 

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