Kaye Adams was "surprised" to learn that she needs two hearing aids.
Kaye Adams was surprised to learn she needs two hearing aids
The 59-year-old journalist had her "suspicions" when she made an appointment with the audiologist but initially thought her hearing was waning in just one ear.
She said: "You don’t go for a test without having your suspicions, so it didn’t come completely out of the blue. But I suppose what did come as a surprise was the advice to have two. In my head, I was reconciled to needing one, not two. It makes sense. And I think getting a good understanding of it all is a really big part of accepting it."
The 'Loose Women' star is set to take part in this year's edition of 'Strictly Come Dancing' alongside the likes of 80s pop star Matt Goss and ex-'Corrie' actress Kym Marsh but Kaye believes it will be after she completed her run on the BBC ballroom competition that she manages to get her hearing aids fitted.
She told The Mirror: "Life has just become extremely busy, so realistically I think it’ll be after 'Strictly' by the time I get them. I’m totally reconciled to it and it’s not for any vanity reason, it’s just down to practicalities and timing."
Kaye - who has been in a relationship with tennis coach Ian Campbell since 1995 and has daughters Charley, 19, and 15-year-old Bonnie with him - went on to explain that although a hearing aid would be more "discreet" than the earpiece she wears while presenting, there is still a "stigma" around hearing loss because of how much it is associated with "old age" even though it can come at any time.
She added: “I actually had a fitting at my appointment where I was able to hear the difference and it was really interesting. On TV I wear an earpiece anyway and, if anything, I felt like they were more discreet. I think there’s so much negativity around hearing aids that doesn’t really exist around other things like specs, for example, which are considered cool.
"I think hearing loss can be associated quite a lot with old age, even though there are loads of reasons you could have it at any age.
"And, actually, when you start to understand it a bit more and how your own experience can be improved, you don’t have that knee-jerk reaction against them."
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