Television personality Kirsty Gallacher has offered a fresh update on her health following treatment for a benign brain tumour. The 50-year-old former Sky Sports presenter underwent radiotherapy last year in an attempt to shrink an inoperable acoustic neuroma located in the inner canal of her right ear.
Diagnosis and Treatment Journey
Gallacher was diagnosed with the benign tumour during the summer of 2021 after experiencing sudden hearing loss. She recently appeared on the Vanessa show, where she told host Vanessa Feltz that an MRI scan is imminent to determine the effectiveness of the radiotherapy.
“I found out I had basically a brain tumour, an acoustic neuroma in my right ear,” she explained. “I went deaf a few years ago, and I had radiotherapy last year, so I’ve got my MRI coming up soon where we’ll know whether it’s worked.”
While the success rate for such treatment is high, Gallacher noted that the tumour is unlikely to disappear entirely. “It’s not going to get rid of it. It’s whether it shrinks it and sort of kills the DNA that keeps making it grow, really,” she said. “It’s hard, I’m very hard of hearing now in my right ear, and the tinnitus is far worse than it was sadly when I was here a year ago.”
Living with Hearing Loss and Tinnitus
Since going public with her diagnosis, Gallacher has been open about the ongoing challenges posed by her condition, including persistent tinnitus and hearing loss. She has previously stated that surgery to remove the tumour would be “very dangerous.”
Recalling the onset of symptoms, she said on Loose Women: “A couple of years ago, I literally woke up and I couldn’t really hear out of my right ear and I thought, ‘Oh, that’s a bit odd.’ I’d been flying the week before and thought it’s not popped, and went to the doctor and it was a medical emergency because obviously, it could be a brain tumour.”
Medical professionals have suggested a hearing aid, but Gallacher has so far declined. “I’m not there yet, I don’t think. I’m managing it fine,” she said. However, she admitted that noisy environments can be overwhelming. “I do find it upsetting and I sympathise... it’s management and sometimes if I’m in an acoustically difficult environment, say I was out for dinner last night, noisy environment, I have to leave sometimes. I get really upset. I can’t cope with it because I can’t hear anyone... I now look at people’s lips because my hearing loss is pretty bad in my right ear.”
Emotional Impact and Driving Ban
Last year, Gallacher became visibly emotional while reading a statement after receiving a six-month driving ban for speeding. Through tears, she said: “I have a brain tumour – an acoustic neuroma – it is benign, but it’s growing very fast. They have monitored it for the last three years. I am now doing radiotherapy. We don’t know if the radiotherapy is going to work, if it will shrink [the tumour] or not. It’s a bit of a ‘suck it and see’ situation. I have lots of appointments.”
She added: “I took a week off to undergo my first session last week. I have to go for regular appointments with a view to more radiotherapy or possibly an operation. I’m an ordinary mum with plates spinning. With my health, it’s going to be very difficult.”
