Nicki Chapman's life and career
Nicki Chapman, known for presenting Escape to the Country, has had an eventful career from promoting the Spice Girls to being a judge on Pop Idol and Popstars. The 59-year-old from Kent has hosted shows including Holiday, BBC Breakfast News, and RHS Chelsea Flower Show. She joined the BBC property show in 2009.
Brain tumour diagnosis
In May 2019, Chapman experienced loss of vision and slurred speech while recovering from a knee operation. She told The Brain Tumour Charity in 2020: "My symptoms were very sudden, over 24 hours. Initially, doctors thought I’d had a stroke, but scans revealed a golf-ball-sized meningioma." She underwent a four-and-a-half-hour operation to remove the non-cancerous tumour. While successful, she now struggles to absorb and retain information.
Appearing on the HELLO! Second Act podcast, she said: "I'd had a seizure, and I knew something was wrong. They thought I'd had a stroke, but it was actually a brain tumour." On Tom Price's podcast, she admitted: "Sadly, I struggle with reading now. I can read, but my concentration is gone. Learning my lines takes longer, retaining information takes a little bit longer."
Marriage to Dave Shackleton
Chapman met music executive Dave 'Shacky' Shackleton while working at RCA Records. He was appointed head of Iron Maiden's management company in 2013. They married in 1999 and live in a West London home. In July 2026, she posted a tribute on Instagram celebrating 27 years of marriage.
Speaking to House Beautiful Magazine in 2023, she said: "I love my house, but it's also a home. It's not a showpiece." She treasures paintings by Sheffield artist Pete McKee, including personalised pictures of her and her husband.
Escape to the Country airs weekdays at 2:45pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
