An overwhelmed Christina Applegate made a joke about the irony of her health condition after getting a standing ovation at the 75th Emmy Awards.
Watch below:
The Dead To Me actor was reduced to tears as she took to the stage with a cane to present the first Emmy Award at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles.
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The annual ceremony was pushed back from September due to the US actors’ and writers’ strikes.
Applegate - who is known for her roles in Married…With Children and Samantha Who? - took to the stage alongside host Anthony Anderson to present the first award of the night, 'Supporting Actress in a Comedy', which went to Ayo Edebiri for The Bear.
After the audience got up off their seats to cheer, the 52-year-old joked that by standing up, the crowd was making fun of her multiple sclerosis disability.
She said: "Thank you so much," before joking: "Oh my god, you're totally shaming me with disability by standing up. It's fine.
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"Body not by Ozempic. Okay, let's go. Some of you may know me as Kelly Bundy from Married... With Children or Samantha from Samantha Who? or Jen Harding from Dead To Me.
"Very few of you probably know me from that debut - I'm going to cry, more than I've been crying. Baby Burt Grizzell on Days of Our Lives. It was my breakout role.
"And for all these years, it's look at that. Been an honour to play funny, flawed, complex characters like the women nominated for supporting actress in a comedy series."
As the crowd applauded, the actor said: "We don’t have to applaud every time I do something.”
In 2021, Applegate revealed that she had been diagnosed with MS, writing on X (formerly Twitter): “It's been a strange journey.
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"But I have been so supported by people that I know who also have this condition."
Adding: "It’s been a tough road. But as we all know, the road keeps going. Unless some a**hole blocks it."
According to the NHS: "Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition that can affect the brain and spinal cord, causing a wide range of potential symptoms, including problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation or balance.
"It's a lifelong condition that can sometimes cause serious disability, although it can occasionally be mild.
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"In many cases, it's possible to treat symptoms. Average life expectancy is slightly reduced for people with MS.
"It's most commonly diagnosed in people in their 20s, 30s and 40s although it can develop at any age.
"It's about 2 to 3 times more common in women than men. MS is one of the most common causes of disability in younger adults."
The main symptoms include:
- fatigue
- difficulty walking
- vision problems, such as blurred vision
- problems controlling the bladder
- numbness or tingling in different parts of the body
- muscle stiffness and spasms
- problems with balance and co-ordination
- problems with thinking, learning and planning