Strictly Come Dancing contestant Graeme Hall has opened up about the health battle that changed his life, revealing he suffered a stroke in 2019 and later discovered a hole in his heart. The 59-year-old, best known for fronting Channel 5's Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly, will share his story in a Couple's Choice routine with professional partner Lauren Oakley this week.
Stroke and Recovery
In February 2019, Graeme was watching TV when he felt a "weird buzzing" in his head. After being taken to hospital, an MRI confirmed he had suffered a stroke. He later learned he had a hole in his heart.
Speaking about the experience, he told the Mirror: "I'd had it since birth - lots of people do - but mine was big enough to allow clots to pass through from one side to the other and get to the brain and that's what caused the stroke. Thankfully it was nowhere near as bad as some people have it."
He added: "I've been very fortunate." The TV star had an operation to close the hole and spent around seven months recovering from surgery.
Emotional Dance and Personal Loss
Speaking about the upcoming routine, Lauren said: "I'm really excited about it, actually. We've seen a lot of different sides to Graeme so far. We've had fun Graeme and we've leaned into a lot of characters, but next week, we get the chance to see his softer, tender side."
Graeme added: "Yeah, there's a side that I haven't really told people about. I had a stroke in 2019. I managed to recover fully, but my life changed completely. So, we'll be telling a little bit about that story next week."
In a recent social media post, Graeme also shared the death of his dog Tish, who lived to over 17 and a half. He said: "Our Tish [angel wings] As true to terriers as could be. Fiercely independent and as sassy as they come but deep down a real softy who loved a cuddle."
He continued: "Tish lived to over 17 and a half, even when frail she was adamant she could still do everything without help. Tish's legacy would definitely be 'where there's a will there's a way'. She had hope, strength, willpower and positivity by the bucket load. We could all be a little more Tish. Hugely missed but never forgotten."
Career and Personal Life
Known as The Dogfather, Graeme is the face of Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly, which sees him visit households to help manage their dog's behaviour. A one-off documentary titled Dogs Behaving Badly first aired in March 2017 on Channel 4, and the show has since been renewed for an additional seven seasons on Channel 5.
Graeme recently celebrated the 100th episode of the show, sharing on Instagram: "Celebrating our 100th episode of #DogsBehavingVeryBadly. Looking back with a few pictures from Series 5, 6 and 7 … I think we had fun."
In 2023, an Australian version of Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly was launched, and Graeme has also starred as a presenter on The Dog Hospital, based at Willows, one of the UK's top veterinary centres.
Graeme married accountant Elinor Perry-Hall in 2017 in Sri Lanka, but rumours of a split began circulating in 2023. He now lives in Northamptonshire with his partner Nikki.
Before his television career, Graeme worked as a management consultant for Weetabix for 21 years. He grew up in Selby, Yorkshire, before attending the University of Hull. His desire for a career change stemmed from retraining his own Rottweilers, Axel and Gordon. He was once hospitalised after being savaged by a client's German shepherd in Worcestershire in 2015.
Graeme described his career shift, saying: "I had two Rottweilers and set about training them. Then someone from a dog training company said something that changed the course of my life, 'Why don't you become a dog trainer?' I said, 'Why?' He said, 'Because you're good with people'. That's what hooked me, as he said it's a combination of being good with people and good with dogs."
