Radio presenter and I'm A Celebrity favourite Jordan North has opened up about a lifelong hearing condition, revealing he has been deaf in his right ear since a bizarre childhood incident involving a bicycle and a burst of anger.
The Shocking Podcast Revelation
During a candid conversation on the popular Shagged, Married, Annoyed podcast hosted by Chris and Rosie Ramsey, the 35-year-old star's hearing issue came to light. His co-host and friend, William Hanson, mentioned having to sit on a specific side of Jordan for the recording due to his deafness, prompting the surprised hosts to ask for an explanation.
Jordan recounted the story, which began when he was just 12 or 13 years old. "Basically, I've been deaf in my right ear since I was about 12 or 13," he stated, prefacing his tale with a request for the others not to laugh. The incident occurred after his mother instructed him to put his bike away in the shed to prevent it from being stolen.
A Mother's Disbelief and a Medical Diagnosis
"I was putting my bike away in the shed," Jordan explained. "My ear burst and I think I was so angry that basically I've burst a blood vessel." The presenters were visibly taken aback by the unusual cause of his permanent hearing loss.
He went on to describe how his mother initially dismissed his complaints. "For three weeks I was saying 'mum, I can't hear' and she's going 'don't be daft'," he shared. Eventually, she did take him to the doctors, where the extent of the damage was confirmed. Jordan also confessed that while he requires a hearing aid, he never wears it.
Comedian Chris Ramsey admitted he expected a more slapstick story, with Jordan agreeing it would have made more sense. Jordan has stuck to his account despite an ear specialist once direct-messaging him to suggest it probably didn't happen that way. "He disagreed and again doubled down on that's exactly what occurred," Jordan said. "I was so fuming I burst a blood vessel."
Awkward Encounters and On-Air Pranks
In a related lighter anecdote from his Capital Breakfast show, Jordan recently revealed he was convinced comedian Josh Widdicombe hates him following an awkward past encounter. He discussed his long-held worry with co-hosts Chris Stark and Sian Welby, which led them to play a prank when Widdicombe appeared as a guest.
The team showed clips seemingly proving Josh was colder to Jordan, including one where he sharply responded to Jordan's comment about microphone placement. The act didn't last, however, as Widdicombe confessed he'd received a message asking him to "be really horrible to Jordan," much to Jordan's vindicated amusement.
