Grant Denyer’s wife Chezzi Denyer has shared a heartbreaking update on her husband’s health condition, after the Dancing With The Stars host was rushed to hospital for a second time this week with a horrific back injury.
Grant has an “annular fissure or ruptured/ torn disc,” she told her Instagram followers on Thursday, and now she’s gone on radio to explain just how serious his condition is – and it sounds incredibly painful.
Speaking to Grant’s 2Day FM radio co-hosts Ed Kavalee and Ash London on Friday morning, Chezzi said she was “shaky” and “trying not to cry” while recounting the news doctors had given the couple.
Telling Grant’s co-hosts she was “shaky” and “trying not to cry”, Chezzi said doctors had told them yesterday what was wrong with his back.
“He found out yesterday he’s got an annular fissure, which is a tear in his lower disc, so it’s incredibly painful and it basically makes it impossible for him to walk, sit, or do anything other than lie on his left side,” she said.
“He’s in a lot of pain and it’s really difficult to watch. It took me back to when he broke his back 10 years ago because the pain is so intense when he moves that you can’t help but get quite angry, and that’s not in his nature.
“Also on top of that, he feels like he’s let the world down, he’s let you guys down because he wants to be at work and it’s a really busy period, so he’s just doing his best.”
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Grant and Chezzi at the Logies last year, and Grant in hospital this week. (Image: Getty/Instagram)
Grant has been open about his previous dependence on prescription pain medication, and Chezzi was asked if the couple were concerned about the popular TV host going back on pain meds while in hospital this time.
She said Grant was in so much pain when he was rushed to hospital that giving him pain medication was the only option.
“He was in such intense, acute pain when we got into hospital and they checked his vitals and said this guy needs to be given a massive dose of morphine, his blood pressure is through the roof,” Chezzi explained.
“I don’t think he was really thinking about it, but we’ve had some really good guidance and we’ve been juggling different types of medication because usually they put you on very strong morphine which is not Grant’s friend.
“So we’ve had to take some really good advice and guidance and we’ve finally found something that is a very stable drug that will allow him just to rest and not have the big patches of pain.”
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Grant with his adorable daughters Sailor, seven, and Scout, three. (Image: TV Week)
This isn’t the first time Grant has badly hurt his back. In 2008 he was hospitalised after breaking his back in a massive car accident, which took months of recovery.
It’s during that time that Grant developed a reliance on medication.
Last year, Grant revealed to The Daily Telegraph that the injury led to a huge decline in his mental health, and a dependence on painkillers.
“I mentally wasn’t well, I was on pain medication for long time, and I probably wasn’t aware of the effects of that. I just didn’t have an education to be able to deal with it. I think I was caught in that trap and a whole whirlwind of emotions that meant I was at my lowest,” he said.
Grant and Chezzi have stuck by each other through thick and thin. (Image: Getty)
It was during his Gold Logie acceptance speech last year, recognising his work as the host of Family Feud, that Grant publicly opened up about his battles for the first time.
“I’ll tell you why this is important to me tonight and it really is a special achievement because Family Feud came long to me in my life when I really wasn’t sure if I’d ever work again or if I wanted to,” he said through tears.
“I wasn’t particularly in a very good place. I wasn’t very well. I was in a bit of a hole. I was pretty sad. I was a bit lost and Family Feud came along and I was very unwell at that particular time.
“I figured out it’s never too late to improve yourself, to be kind to other people, and to know that you can always be a better you and that you can have a much better, positive influence on other people.”
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As Chezzie looked on from the audience, also in tears, Grant dedicated his award to his wife of almost 10 years.
“My beautiful wife, Chezzi, oh, my god. We did it, darling. We bloody did it. Wow. We’ve come a long way. I owe this to you,” he said.
“We are an incredible team and you’ve been there by my side through the best and the worst. And we’ve had some down times and we’ve had some great times and I want you to share in this moment because this is yours as much as it’s mine.”
