James Norton has opened up about a health scare he experienced during Jude Law’s speech at the GQ Men of the Year Awards in November 2023. The 39-year-old actor, who has been living with diabetes since he was 22, has previously shared how he manages the condition. However, the incident at the awards highlighted the challenges of living with diabetes in public settings.
Norton had taken insulin before the event, anticipating a carbohydrate-heavy meal. Instead, he was served a light “fashion dinner” with smoked trout and no bread, followed by a long wait for the main course. As his blood sugar levels plummeted, Norton began to feel unwell. “I was dripping with sweat,” he recalled on the Off Menu podcast. “I’m sitting at the high table, opposite Nicole Kidman, and there are cameras everywhere. If I stand up, it’s really rude.”
Concerned he might pass out, Norton alerted a nearby waiter. “I said, ‘I’m diabetic. You need to help me. I need some orange juice really quickly, please.’” The request caused a stir, and staff quickly brought him orange juice, a Pret chocolate bar, and a bowl of hot potatoes while Law continued his speech.
“I just looked like a potato-loving glutton in the middle of the speech,” Norton said, describing the awkward situation. “It’s fraught when you’re eating out. You can’t time the meal exactly.”
Norton now wears a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to track his blood sugar levels, explaining that he used to experience hypoglycemia episodes, particularly at night. “I’d wake up in a sweaty mess, disoriented, and scared. If you’re with a partner, it’s quite scary for them too, because hypos can be serious,” he said. Thanks to the CGM, he can now monitor his levels more easily. “Now, way before that happens, we get a beep, which wakes us up. Since then, my glucose is just more controlled. I sleep so much better,” he added.
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