BBC Radio 2 presenter and musical theatre icon Michael Ball has spoken candidly about the crippling health condition that left him barely able to walk and forced him to step back from major professional commitments. In an interview with Saga Magazine, the 64-year-old revealed that years of worsening hip pain ultimately led to a diagnosis requiring hip replacement surgery.

Michael said the issue had been troubling him for several years but significantly worsened while he was working abroad. "I'd been having intermittent pain with my hip for years and it was getting worse. I knew it would have to be seen too but I was too busy and had just soldiered through a UK tour with Alfie Boe," he told Saga Magazine.

He then travelled to Australia to perform in Les Misérables, where the pain became increasingly difficult to manage during rehearsals.

"Then when I was in rehearsals for Les Mis in Australia I was in a lot of pain. A cortisone injection helped, but a week into rehearsals I could hardly walk and was in agony, hobbling around on stage," he said.

Although medication offered some relief, Michael admitted there were limits to how much he could take while continuing to perform.

After undergoing scans, doctors discovered the full extent of the damage.

"After a scan, I was told the ligament on my hip had severed and there was no cartilage, so it was bone on bone, and the bone was wearing away. My hip had to be replaced as soon as possible, so that was booked for my return to the UK," he said.

Despite being advised to undergo surgery immediately, Michael completed the remainder of his Australian run before returning home. He said one unexpected distraction helped him cope with the pain.

"What got me through six more weeks of agony was The Traitors. Every day, between shows, we played our own version of the TV show and I thought I can't go home until I know who the traitors are," he said.

However, the condition worsened to the point where he was forced to miss performances.

"I missed two Les Mis shows though because I literally couldn't walk," he added.

Just a week after returning to Britain, Michael underwent hip replacement surgery, which he described as life-changing.

"A week after getting home, I had the operation and it was a game changer. It was then I realised I'd been existing with chronic pain for three years," he said.

Michael, who rose to fame through Les Misérables and later starred in productions including The Phantom of the Opera, has confirmed his long-running association with Les Mis has now come to an end.

Reflecting on his recovery, he said he has gradually returned to exercise and now enjoys regular dog walks while focusing on healthier habits. He also acknowledged that stepping away from the production after more than 40 years was a major decision, but one that felt right as he moves forward in his career.