James Norton’s surprising health battle – fans shocked to hear newly single Happy Valley hunk is living with fatal illness

Fans of BBC drama Happy Valley will know actor James Norton for his chilling portrayal 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 at the age of 22 after he started experiencing worrying symptoms such as ‘losing weight, urinating more often and feeling very tired’ .

He has since called the disease 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 lifelong autoimmune disease that affects around 300,000 people in Britain and is on the rise.

Unlike type 2 diabetes, which is linked to lifestyle habits such as poor diet and lack of exercise, type 1 is believed to be genetic.

It is caused by confused immune cells that accidentally stop producing insulin.

Insulin is the essential hormone our body needs to convert food from our diet into energy and keep blood sugar, or glucose, levels stable.

Those with the condition need to be on high alert for hypos (hypoglycemia) – sudden drops in blood sugar levels that can cause dizziness and shakiness. If this is not treated quickly with a burst of sugar – for example via a fizzy drink or a packet of sweets – patients can suffer life-threatening seizures or coma.

If unstable blood sugar levels are not controlled by insulin injections, it can wreak havoc and damage tissues, especially the small blood vessels in the eyes, the kidneys and the blood vessels that supply the nerves in the hands and feet.

James Norton, who is also known for his roles in the BBC drama McMafia and a 2016 adaptation of War and Peace, has long been involved in raising awareness of the condition.

He has taken part in several educational events led by NHS diabetes technology leader Professor Partha Kar.

Meanwhile, the handsome star has been posting selfies on Instagram proudly showing off the continuous glucose monitor (CGM) implanted in his arm.

A CGM is a wearable device that tracks glucose in real time and sends the information back to a linked smartphone app.

A modern version, the Freestyle Libre, is connected to an implanted pump, which automatically releases the exact amount of insulin you need throughout the day into the bloodstream.

Fellow patients have taken to the social media platform to express their surprise that Norton has the same condition as them – and applauded his quest to help others access rapid diagnosis and treatment.

Norton was celebrated for his performance in the BBC crime drama Happy Valley, in which he played murderer Tommy Lee Royce

The third and final season of Happy Valley aired in 2023. Norton said in an interview that the show was “always intended to be a trilogy and is definitely not 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 had diabetes. I use the Libre 2; it’s smaller than yours.’

Another woman named Philippa said, “I like you even more now. I didn’t know.’

In 2019, Norton told The Daily Mail about the difficulties of dealing with his condition while performing on stage. Last year he starred in a West End production of A A Little Life, an adaptation of Hanya Yanagihara’s novel in which he played a character who suffered abuse as a child.

‘Being in a play is complicated because sometimes I’m on stage for an hour and a half,” Norton said. ‘If it’s a period drama, I ask the costume designers to create a hidden pocket where I can store some sugar lozenges.

‘Then when I start to feel shaky, I improvise: I walk on stage, throw three dextrose tablets (high glucose supplements) into my month and then continue 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, opting instead to inject himself.

‘As an actor I change costumes all the time. Sometimes I have to do a scene naked, with my top off, or wear tight clothes,” he said. ‘I don’t want to be attached to two devices.

‘I give myself about fifteen insulin injections a day. I’m happy with that because it suits my lifestyle. Please note that it is a 5mm needle and it takes me 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 has not had a single hypo and has kept his blood sugar levels stable. Before this technology was available, patients had to prick their fingers to draw blood with a lancet and insert the sample into a separate device to measure blood sugar levels.

Norton’s diagnosis did not come as a shock to his family.

‘Within our small family of four, it is completely normal to have type 1 diabetes; my father is the only one who doesn’t have it,” he told The Daily Mail.

‘My sister Jessie was diagnosed when she was nine. My mother was diagnosed when she was 58 (about the same age Theresa May was when she discovered she was Type 1).”

Norton said it was never thought he would change his career direction because of concerns about managing his illness.

“I was proud to answer that I never thought for a moment that it would slow me down,” he told The Daily Mail, adding: “It’s a beautiful, powerful thing.”