Gogglebox star Shaun Malone has shared an update from hospital after undergoing brain surgery. The 31-year-old, who has been a core member of the Channel 4 show alongside his family since 2014, posted a photo of the scar on his head on social media.
Shaun wrote: “Heatwave is a terrible time to be stuck in hospital until Friday. Brain surgery is deffo not the highlight of my year.” The Malone family—Shaun, his parents Tom and Julie, and siblings Tom Jr and Vanessa—have been a staple of Gogglebox since the fourth season.
Shaun’s Decade-Long Health Battle
Shaun has been open about his health struggles over the past decade. He was diagnosed with a brain condition in 2010 after initially contracting sinusitis. The infection led to a life-threatening situation, with doctors giving him less than a 10% chance of survival.
Speaking on the Coaching From The Sofa podcast, Shaun recalled: “In 2010 I got sinusitis and in some way, the infection found its way back to my brain. My brain started swelling and my skull started crushing it so my mum took me to A&E saying, 'Look he's poorly!' and they said it was sinusitis.”
Coma and Brain Damage
Shaun collapsed at home and fell into a coma for several weeks. He said: “They said to my mum and dad that I had a less than 10 per cent chance of living. I was in a coma for a few weeks – and they said to my mum and dad, 'Shaun's got brain damage, we don't know what the brain damage is or how it'll affect him or if it's going to be really bad.'”
When he woke up, the brain damage affected his memory and the left side of his body. “I essentially had a stroke, I couldn't move my left arm, my left leg, even the left side of my face,” he added.
Family’s Devastation and Support
Shaun’s mother Julie previously told the Mirror about the family’s frantic ordeal. “We were absolutely frantic. The doctor said Shaun only had a slim chance of surviving surgery, that there were no beds available. Tom said I just went doolally saying, 'He's going to be fine, he's going to be fine'. Thankfully Tom was level-headed and really pushed them.”
Despite numerous cast changes over the years, the Malones have remained a key part of Gogglebox, delighting viewers with their TV quips. The show airs Fridays on Channel 4.
