Actor James Norton, star of Grantchester, McMafia, and Hollywood movies including Little Women, is preparing for his latest role – starring on Instagram Live for JDRF.
At 7pm on Tuesday 9 June, as part of Diabetes Week, James will take over the charity’s Instagram account to raise awareness of type 1 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes affects more than 400,000 people in the UK, and those with the condition must closely monitor their blood glucose levels and inject insulin every day.
James, who lives with type 1 diabetes, is a JDRF Ambassador, and regularly speaks out about the condition and how it affects him.
On the night, the star will open up about managing his type 1 in Hollywood – and in lockdown – including his experience of bouncing back from ‘diabetes burnout’.
He will appear alongside NHS England’s clinical lead for type 1 diabetes Professor Partha Kar. Partha will be leading a Q&A session with James, giving the type 1 community an opportunity to ask their questions, live on Instagram.
The pair have collaborated before, with Partha having previously hosted James at his Talking About Diabetes (TAD) event in 2019.
James Norton previously shared his thoughts on the importance of community for people with type 1 diabetes in an interview for JDRF’s Type 1 Discovery magazine.
He said: “I didn’t talk about my diabetes when I was first diagnosed but when I started to more and more, I felt relief. And once I did, I realised lots of people are dealing with something too.
“There is an amazing community […] you can talk to now, compare notes and feel a sense of solidarity.”
JDRF has a range of resources – and more live virtual events – for people affected by type 1 diabetes.