ABC Melbourne news anchor Iskhandar Razak has reassured viewers after an on-air medical emergency during a live broadcast on Friday, 4 September. While delivering a weather update, Razak’s face appeared to droop on one side, prompting immediate concern from audiences who flooded social media with messages asking if he was okay.
Anchor confirms Bell’s palsy diagnosis, not a stroke
Razak later shared a video update on Instagram confirming he had not suffered a stroke. Instead, doctors diagnosed him with Bell’s palsy, a condition causing sudden, temporary weakness or paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face.
“Good news, it’s not a stroke but as you can see my face isn’t really reacting as it normally would.
“There’s some paralysation of this side of the face at the moment.”
He thanked viewers for their support and explained that a trip to the emergency room ruled out anything life-threatening.
“What it is, is Bell’s palsy, inflammation of the ear through, or an ear nerve that’s connected up and it means this is slower to react.
‘I have been able to force myself to make it a bit better when I’ve had to work.
“But keen people have noticed that this eye, more than anything, is really taking its time to shut.
“So I am going to take a few days off, and hopefully this will sort itself out with medication and treatment in a few weeks tops.
“Thank you again to everyone who’s asked, and if you see me with an eye patch on the streets, you know why.”
Razak describes moment he knew something was wrong
Speaking earlier on ABC Radio Melbourne, Razak detailed the timeline of the incident. He said he had felt unwell in the days leading up to the broadcast and had slept poorly the night before.
“I was aware something was different and so the first real inclination that I thought something is probably askew was about 3.45pm, when I was on air with Charlie Pickering and that’s when I felt like I was talking out of the side of my mouth and felt a bit different.
“At the same time, I was thinking, the worst thing is that something’s really wrong here and it could be a stroke.
“But I’m chatting away and no one’s noticing a thing. Everyone’s listening. No one’s made any comment that my face looks different. I’m completely coherent.
“But when I got home that night, my wife, who is a GP, looked at me straight away and said, ”half of your face has got a droop going on”.
“I couldn’t make a bubble with my face because I’d lost that muscle connection.”
Recovery expected to take several months
Medical professionals told Razak a full recovery typically takes between three to six months. He said he will take a few weeks off work while undergoing medication and treatment.
The incident highlights how quickly viewers can detect subtle changes during live broadcasts and the importance of seeking immediate medical attention when stroke-like symptoms appear — even when they turn out to be a different neurological condition.
