GMB star John Stapleton's heartbreaking seven-word comment on receiving Parkinson's diagnosis

John Stapleton, 78, who has presented on programmes including Newsnight, Panorama and GMTV’s News Hour, revealed his diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease earlier this week.

Appearing on Wednesday's , John opened up about his diagnosis. Asked how he was doing, he said: "I'm doing fine, I'm coping, learning to live with it! I think I'm fairly pragmatic about it, there's no point being miserable.

"There's no point in being miserable or trying to change anything, it won't ever change. It won't ever change, Parkinson’s is here with me now for the rest of my life. Best I can do is try and control it and take the advice of all the experts I'm talking to."

He added in a heartbreaking seven-word response later in the interview: "I've got it, get on with it!" Elsewhere during the interview, host Richard Madeley asked when he first suspected he could have the disease.

To which John recalled: "About two or three years ago, it started with a tremor. I went to see a specialist, he didn't think it was Parkinson’s, he thought it was a thing called benign essential tremor", adding the expert said if it gets worse, come back.

He continued: "So I went back and of course he did confirm, about two to three months ago, he confirmed it was indeed Parkinson’s. Also, I had other symptoms as well - difficulty swallowing, handwriting going, I would find myself writing tiny letters that no one else could decipher, feeling fatigued a lot of the time when I wouldn't do otherwise and of course the voice.

"The voice has lost a lot of its resonance so I have to speak louder! I've got a speech therapist who has helped me a great deal, teaching me to speak more loudly."

It comes as John said in a video clip on One's Morning Live earlier this week that he is "pragmatic" about the prospect of it getting worse. He said: "Speaking is how I’ve earned my living for the best part of 50 years!

"It’s very frustrating sometimes, particularly [when] people are constantly saying to you, 'Sorry, what did you say?' And you have to repeat yourself, time and time again. I am fairly pragmatic about the prospect of this getting worse. I try to remain positive, because what’s the point of not being?"

His son, Nick, added that while the diagnosis has been "really upsetting", it did not come as a surprise because his grandmother also had the degenerative condition.

Parkinson’s disease is a condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years, with symptoms including tremors and slow movement, according to the website.

Speaking about his mother's own diagnosis, John said: "I witnessed my mother’s decline from this lively, ebullient, outgoing lady to a lady who is fairly fragile. One of the practical problems she faced initially was her inability to do things like open a can of beans or peel a potato. Believe it or not, I’m having the same problem, to some extent, myself right now."

He added: "I want to remain as independent as I can for as long as I possibly can. In terms of the house, I’d be very reluctant to leave it, which shall not surprise you at all."

John also told his son he would be okay with using a stairlift if necessary and that he would be reluctant to go into care, but is also "a realist".

For help and support with Parkinson's, you can contact charity Parkinson’s UK on their free confidential helpline 0808 800 0303 or visit their .