Susannah Constantine has revealed she suffers from hearing loss and shared details about her devastating diagnosis and the treatment that changed her life in an interview with The mirror.
The 61-year-old fashion journalist and TV presenter spent her entire life in noisy environments, juggling between production studios and live performances – but it was the inability to hear birds sing that troubled her.
The award-winning author realized she was having problems with her hearing earlier this year, but relented the problem may have been going on for a year and a half.
The famous writer – who lives in the countryside – said that the birdsong was one of the most comforting things for her, because suddenly she couldn’t hear it anymore.
“It was a cacophony of noise without the clarity and differentiation. Then I realized it. Well, that in combination with my children [Joe, 23, Esme, 21 and Cece, 18] calling me deaf and getting really frustrated with me,” she said.
Getting real: Susannah Constantine has revealed she suffers from hearing loss and shared details about her devastating diagnosis and the treatment that changed her life
Susannah admitted that social situations became increasingly difficult to tolerate, with ambient noise being “terrible.”
“I couldn’t hear the person sitting next to me. I had become an amateur lip reader, but if I couldn’t see someone’s face, I had no idea what they were saying. It was embarrassing,” she revealed.
The clothing designer was candid about her “embarrassment” in seeking help for her problem – admitting she had always feared age-related hearing loss.
“There can be a huge stigma around wearing hearing aids. I felt like I might as well go to the funeral home and order my coffin, it made me feel so old,” explains Susannah.
But things took a turn for the worse when the TV star decided to book a hearing test with Boots, finally overcoming the shameful stigma.
Susannah recalled the moment she took her hearing test and said she sat in a soundproof cubicle with headphones on listening to a continuous beep, pressing the button only when she could hear it.
The celebrity style consultant was initially convinced that everything was going well and was pretty sure she was “not deaf” – but there were several pitches she didn’t know she couldn’t hear.
The test showed that years of tearing and wear – such as listening to music on headphones at a very high volume – caused the author to need a hearing aid.
Changes: The award-winning author realized she was having problems with her hearing earlier this year, but admitted the problem could have been going on for a year and a half
Candid: “I couldn’t hear the person sitting next to me. I was going to be an amateur lip reader, but if I couldn’t see someone’s face I had no idea what they were saying,” she said
The BBC star certainly had a life full of sensational moments, such as being on tour with the Scissor Sisters in the past – where, as a huge fan of live music, she was often close to the loudspeakers.
Despite the initially devastating diagnosis, Susannah admitted that hearing aids changed her life forever — she described her Phonak as “transformative” and “comfortable.”
The former fashion journalist joked that hearing technology was a bit like “NASA” and that it only blew her away after she got to try it.
Susannah explained that these kinds of hearing aids can become a comfortable part of your life because they can be worn while swimming or washing your hair – if you’re careful.
She also said they have built-in Bluetooth – where she often listens to music and calls, although “the music isn’t as good as through headphones.”
The TV personality also revealed that her eldest daughter admitted that her hearing had improved significantly.
Susannah remembered her very first test – which was a noisy big party.
The award-winning author revealed that she actually outperformed many of the people who attended the party — asking many to turn the volume down to talk, when for her everything was “perfectly pitched’.
Then things took an amazing turn for Susannah, as she said she was finally starting to embrace her new accessory.
She felt even better when she realized that her previous embarrassment was so unmotivated, as many people around her showed support and were actually surprised at how “subtle” the technology was.
The writer recalled lifting her hair and asking people if they’d noticed “something new” about her — with some hilariously asking if she had “a piercing.”
The TV star admitted that seeking help for hearing loss changed her game, as it allowed her to appreciate what she was missing — and take back control of her life.
Susannah urged anyone noticing symptoms of hearing loss to get tested.
It comes after she recently said she has PTSD from doing reality shows and that her years as an alcoholic have made her emotionally younger.
The What Not To Wear star took part in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2015 and Strictly Come Dancing in 2018.
Reflecting on her experience, Susannah confessed that she only did I’m A Celeb for the money, but regretted not training harder for Strictly.
Speak against Pure Luxury, she said, ‘I admit it – I did, I’m a celebrity, get me out of here! for the money.
Life-changing: Despite the diagnosis, Susannah admitted that hearing aids changed her life forever
‘There was no other reason and I know I got paid more than anyone – poor ITV, I got kicked out first! That’s why I don’t really watch the new series when they come out.
“I still watch Strictly and every time I kick myself for taking myself too seriously and not training enough.
“I remember expecting to be a world-class dancer with two or three hours of training a day. I remember coming home on the second day of practice and saying to my husband, “You know what? I’ve found something that I’m really good at and I think we can win this.” I mean how deceived was I?
‘I still have PTSD from it – the traumas of I’m A Celebrity pale in comparison to Strictly! You can absolutely be killed for your lack of talent on that show.”