Steve Crossman said he had a seizure while broadcasting live in Mexico during 5 Live World Cup coverage. He said it happened not long after he arrived at the tournament and that he kept going with help from friends around him.
Crossman posted that he had been covering the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. He said on Twitter: "So, I had a seizure whilst on air in Mexico not long after arriving at the World Cup," and added, "I stuck it out, inspired by my sister who never let her epilepsy stop her."
Steve Crossman on Twitter
He also wrote: "It's been tough BUT I've been surrounded by amazing @5liveSport friends. (Yes this is another sponsorship plea)," setting out both the strain of the episode and the support he said he received during the broadcast. Supporters then sent messages of encouragement on Twitter.
The timing puts the seizure alongside Crossman's long-running public comments about epilepsy. In 2024, speaking in a 5 Live Breakfast segment, he said: "I often say to people, 'epilepsy is not just seizures'. Seizures are the worst of epilepsy," and added that they are "awful, embarrassing and physically very dangerous."
Jill and the London Marathon
Crossman said earlier this week that he will run the 2027 London Marathon for the Epilepsy Society in memory of his sister Jill. On his fundraising page, he wrote: "I have epilepsy and my sister Jill died from Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) in 2021."
He said in another post: "You'll have to get used to these posts! We lost my amazing sister Jill to her epilepsy and I'm running the 2027 London Marathon for @epilepsysociety," and asked for donations to support the charity's work. For readers following the broadcast incident, the practical takeaway is plain: Crossman said he continued after the seizure, but he also tied the episode to a wider account of living with epilepsy and raising money for treatment and support.
2012 and 2013
Crossman said his first proper seizure happened in 2012 and that he was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2013. He also said Jill lived amongst polar bears in Alaska during her life, a detail he used in describing why he was taking on the marathon challenge for London in 2027.
