Krishnan Guru-Murthy has admitted that he is worried he could "drop dead" on Strictly Come Dancing.
The veteran Channel 4 news presenter is gearing up for his big debut on the BBC dancing show, hoping to come out on top against other well-known faces including Emmerdale star Adam Thomas and documentarian Angela Scanlon.
But Krishnan, 53, admitted that he is concerned about his participation in the show due to a health condition he has.
READ MORE: Strictly star Krishnan Guru-Murphy leaves BBC bosses 'fuming' after slamming channel
In an interview, Guru-Murthy opened up on the numerous health issues that he has, which was part of the reason why he had not signed up for Strictly before.
One of the health issues he has – hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – has already claimed the lives of two of his cousins.
Speaking to The Guardian, Krishnan confessed: "I’m really starting to have this realisation: you have to get the absolute most out of life before you’re decrepit.
"I’ve got various health issues, which I’m constantly aware of. I’ve got a genetic heart condition – hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – which has killed two of my cousins, Crohn’s disease, various other things I won’t bore you with," he added.
He also admitted that he has to be careful of his heartbeat reaching a certain number of beats per minute; the so-called "red-zone".
Those with a heart rate in the "red zone" is essentially maxing out on how fast a heart can be, using up every ounce off strength and energy in your body.
"I even asked my cardiologist if I might drop dead live on BBC One. No, was his answer – but he couldn’t give me an absolute guarantee," he confessed.
But despite his concerns that he might not be able to do the show now, Krishnan said that in five year's time, opportunities like doing Strictly "certainly won't be possible".
According to the NHS, a cardiomyopathy is where the walls of the heart become stretched, stiff or thickened.
As a result, this affects the heart's ability to pump blood around the body, making it harder to breathe and move around.
Krishnan's condition – hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – is where the walls thicken due to enlarged cells in the muscles of the heart.
Because of this, the chambers of the heart cannot hold as much blood as usual due to the smaller size.
It can also mean that the heart struggles to pass blood being pumped around the body.
The NHS added that for many, the disease presents no symptoms and does not require treatment.
But it noted that the heart condition is "the most common cause" of sudden death in athletes and children.
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