TV news presenter Paul Brand’s pink eye from toddler sparks viewer concern

Being a parent is one of the toughest jobs on earth and, hardly surprisingly, can be severely lacking in the glamour department.

A British TV news presenter had to make a rather gross parenting admission after worried viewers spotted something wrong with his eye, which turned out to be a common childhood illness.

Paul Brand, a Welsh journalist and UK editor of ITV News, was presenting late-night program News at Ten this week when viewers became concerned one of his eyes appeared to be swollen and pink.

Watch the video above.

READ MORE: $35 Kmart buy perfect for parents this Easter break

Fears for his health ranged from an allergy to Bell’s palsy.

After a number of viewers voiced their concerns on X, formerly Twitter, Brand, 38, had no choice but to clear things up with a post on his Instagram Story.

“For those asking, the dodgy eye is just a product of a toddler’s grubby fingers,” he reportedly wrote alongside a photo of his eye.

“Hopefully less red tomorrow,” he ended the post, along with a praying hands emoji.

READ MORE: Meghan shares sweet detail about daughter Lili during debut podcast episode

He also posted a follow up on his Instagram story, writing, “Eye slightly less weird today,” along with a selfie. 

Brand is most likely suffering from conjunctivitis, also known as ‘pink eye’, which is an inflammation of the membrane that covers the white of the eye and inner eyelids.

It can affect one or both eyes and can be caused by a virus or bacterial infection.

The likely source of the infection was Brand’s son Tomos, four, whom he welcomed in June 2021.

Brand has been married to civil servant Joe Cuddeford since 2017 and they welcomed Tomos with the help of a surrogate.

They announced his birth with identical Instagram posts, in which they thanked “our surrogate and her whole family” for their “perfect bundle of joy”.

Brand, 38, is usually known as much for his immaculate grooming as his news sense.

The Welsh-born journalist started his career working as a reporter for ITV Wales before becoming a political correspondent for Good Morning Britain and then moving to ITV News, where he eventually became UK editor.

He broke the news of a Downing Street party during the COVID-19 pandemic, which became known as ‘Partygate’ and contributed to the end of the political career of PM Boris Johnson.

For a daily dose of 9honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.

He has won a number of awards, including 2019 Broadcaster of the Year and 2023 Political Journalist of the Year at the RTS Television Journalism Awards 2023.

Mum’s $2 pool noodle hack solves very annoying issue

Brand has said he was the subject of homophobic abuse after the photo of Boris Johnson raising a glass at a party during the COVID-19 lockdowns came to light.

It sparked claims on social media that the source of the photo was Brand’s husband – who worked for a government body that was part of the British Cabinet Office. Brand denied the claims.

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.