ABC star Ishkandar Razak suffers medical emergency live on air and is forced to take sudden leave
ABC Melbourne newsreader Ishkandar Razak has taken sudden leave from the broadcaster after experiencing a medical emergency while live on air. Viewers grew concerned last week when part of his face appeared paralysed during a report, prompting speculation about his condition before he addressed it publicly.
Razak said he first noticed symptoms at 3.45pm on a Friday while broadcasting, describing a sensation of talking "out the side of my mouth." In an Instagram post on Sunday, he confirmed he had been diagnosed with Bell's palsy, a condition causing sudden temporary weakness or paralysis of muscles on one side of the face, noting that one eye was slow to close. He said he would take a few days off in the hope the condition resolves itself.
- ABC Melbourne's Ishkandar Razak diagnosed with Bell's palsy after on-air symptoms
- Noticed facial weakness while broadcasting live last Friday
- Taking a few days off to recover, per Instagram post
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Ishkandar Razak is a newsreader for ABC Melbourne, part of Australia's national public broadcaster. He is known to viewers as a regular on-air presenter, which is why his sudden absence and the visible change in his appearance during a broadcast attracted attention and speculation.
The concern began when part of his face appeared affected while he was presenting live, leading some viewers to notice something was wrong before any official explanation was given. Razak later addressed the situation himself, providing his own account of when the symptoms started and how they felt, rather than the broadcaster issuing the initial explanation.
The condition involved, Bell's palsy, is a recognised medical condition that causes sudden, usually temporary, weakness or paralysis on one side of the face, often affecting the mouth and eye. It is a relevant detail because it explains the change in appearance viewers noticed, and because such cases typically prompt a period of rest away from public duties while the person recovers.