Gethin Jones details hereditary health issue sparking regular tests | Celebrity News | Showbiz & TV

Gethin Jones, 45, has shared how he has “really high bad cholesterol” that is hereditary and was the reason for his grandfather’s death.

The Morning Live host said: “I’ve got really high bad cholesterol – the LDL [low-density lipoprotein] kind. It’s hereditary.”

Gethin’s father recently suffered a heart attack and his grandfather died from one.

“My sister Mererid is a physio and she told me to get tested. A blood test showed my cholesterol was high so as I get older I’ve to keep an eye on it.

“I don’t take medication but I make sure I get tested regularly and the last one was OK. They talk about statins, but I’m not sure I’m quite there yet.

“I try to make good choices and then ‘live’ as well.

“It’s all about moderation,” he added to the Daily Mirror.

LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, sometimes called “bad” cholesterol, makes up most of your body’s cholesterol.

High levels of LDL cholesterol raise your risk for heart disease and stroke.

The star, who does enjoy a Guinness but says he’s “not a big drinker” is unsurprisingly careful with his diet.

In the morning he has “oats with seeds, berries and bananas” but will have “eggs on toast” after hitting the gym hard.

At dinner, Gethin will have “veg, chicken or fish” and does not eat much red meat or pasta during the week.

However at the weekend “all bets are off” as he likes to chow down on pancakes, steak, potatoes and sprouts.

It comes after Gethin revealed he was ready to leave behind fame and focus on a career outside of TV, before landing a role as a presenter on BBC’s Morning Live.

The Welsh-born star shared how during lockdown he had signed up for a Masters degree and was ready to move on to the “next chapter”, but instead agreed to the position of daytime host on the public broadcaster.

He exclusively told Express.co.uk: “I was gonna quit TV a couple of years ago and Morning Live came about, and I fell in love with it.

“So I’m hanging around for as long as they ask me!”