Fans of BBC drama Happy Valley will know actor James Norton for his chilling depiction of psychopathic villain, Tommy Lee Royce.
But while the star, 39, was giving his Bafta-winning performance in the series, he was managing the chronic, life-threatening disease, type 1 diabetes.
Norton, who recently split from his fiancée and partner of six years, actor Imogen Poots, was diagnosed with the condition aged 22, after he began experiencing worrying symptoms like ‘losing weight, urinating more often and feeling very tired’.
He has since referred to the illness as his ‘mini-superpower’, claiming it has given him ‘extraordinary empathy’ for ‘anyone who has something that makes them a little bit different’.
Type 1 diabetes is a life-long autoimmune disease affects some 300,000 people in the UK and is on the rise.
Unlike type 2 diabetes, which is linked to lifestyle habits like poor diet and lack of exercise, type 1 is thought to be genetic.
It is triggered by haywire immune cells that mistakenly stop the production of insulin.
Insulin is the vital hormone that our body needs to convert food from our diet into energy, and keeps blood sugar, or glucose, stable.
TV star James Norton was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes aged 22. He wears an implant that monitors his blood sugar 24/7 and alerts him to dangerous crashes.
Those with the condition have to be on high alert for hypos (hypoglycaemia) — sudden drops in blood sugar that can cause dizziness and shakiness. If this isn’t treated quickly with a burst of sugar — such as via a fizzy drink or pack of sweets — patients can suffer life-threatening seizures or coma.
If uncontrolled by insulin injections, unstable blood sugar can wreak havoc, damaging the tissues — particularly the small blood vessels in the eyes, the kidneys and those that supply the nerves in the hands and feet.
James Norton, who is also known for roles in BBC drama McMafia and a 2016 adaptation of War and Peace, has long been involved in raising awareness for the condition.
He has taken part in several educational events led by the NHS’ lead on diabetes technology, Professor Partha Kar.
Meanwhile, on Instagram, the handsome star has posted selfies that proudly display the continuous glucose monitor (CGM) implanted in his arm.
A CGM is a wearable device that tracks glucose in real time and beams the information back to a paired smartphone app.
A modern version called the Freestyle Libre is connected to an implanted pump, which automatically dispenses the exact amount of insulin you need into the bloodstream throughout the day.
Fellow patients have taken to the social media platform to voice their surprise that Norton shares the same condition as them — and applaud him on his quest to help others access speedy diagnosis and treatment.
Norton was celebrated for his performance in BBC crime drama Happy Valley, in which he played killer Tommy Lee Royce
The third and final season of Happy Valley aired in 2023. Norton said in an interview that the show was ‘always designed to be a trilogy and definitely isn’t coming back’.
‘I can’t believe you have the same [condition]!’, one follower commented on an Instagram post of Norton’s CGM, while another said: ‘I never knew you were diabetic. I use the Libre 2; it’s smaller than yours’.’
Another woman, named Filippa, said: ‘I like you even more now. Didn’t know.’
In 2019, Norton told The Daily Mail of the difficulties of managing his condition while performing on stage. Last year he starred in a West End productionof a A Little Life, an adaptation of Hanya Yanagihara’s novel in which he played a character who experienced abuse as a child.
‘Being in a play is complicated because I might be on stage for up to an hour-and-a-half,’ Norton said. ‘If it’s a period drama I’ll ask the costume designers to create a hidden pocket where I can stash some sugar tablets.
‘Then, if I start to feel shaky, I’ll improvise: I’ll wander upstage, throw three dextrose tablets [high glucose supplements] in my month and then carry on with the scene. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve done that.’
He also told The Daily Mail that he prefers not to use an insulin pump, and opts for injecting himself instead.
‘As an actor, I’m constantly changing costumes. Sometimes I have to do a scene naked, with my top off, or wearing tight clothes,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to be attached to two pieces of equipment.
‘I give myself around 15 insulin injections a day. I’m happy with that because it suits my lifestyle. Bear in mind it’s a 5mm needle and it takes me all of seven seconds. I can do three during a meal — my Dexcom [CGM] tells me if I need more insulin before pudding — and no one even notices.’
He added that since using his CGM, he’d not suffered a single hypo, and has kept his blood sugars stable. Before this technology was available, patients would have to prick their fingers to draw blood with a lancet and insert the sample into a separate device to give a blood sugar reading.
Norton’s diagnosis did not come as a shock to his family.
‘Within our little nuclear family of four, it’s completely normal to have type 1 diabetes; my dad is the only one who doesn’t have it,’ he told The Daily Mail.
‘My little sister, Jessie, was diagnosed when she was nine. My mum was diagnosed when she was 58 [roughly the same age as Theresa May was when she found out she was type 1].’
Norton said he’s never thought to shift his career direction due to concerns about managing his disease.
‘I was proud to answer that I never thought for a moment it would slow me down,’ he told The Daily Mail, adding: ‘It’s a lovely, empowering thing.’