Daniel Lustig-Webb, the former Gogglebox star, has revealed he is completely deaf in one ear, a condition he has kept hidden for decades. As he turns 50, the reality TV personality said he is now ready to be open about his hearing loss, which he has struggled with since childhood.
The 50-year-old, who appeared on the Channel 4 show alongside his now ex-husband Stephen Lustig-Webb, explained that he contracted mumps as a child, leading to an infection that caused permanent hearing loss in one ear. He admitted that for years he hid the condition due to insecurity and fear of being seen as different.
In a candid interview, Daniel described the challenges he faced at school, where he was often picked on and labelled 'thick' by teachers because he struggled to concentrate. He said the condition also affected his social life, making it exhausting to follow conversations in noisy environments, and that he would often pretend to hear what people were saying.
Now, as he embarks on a fitness and wellbeing journey focused on self-acceptance, Daniel said he is ready to stop hiding. He plans to learn sign language to connect with the deaf community and hopes his story will help break down stigma around hearing loss. 'Deafness isn’t a weakness, it’s part of me,' he said.
Daniel’s revelation comes as nearly 11 million people in the UK have some form of hearing loss, with about one in six adults affected. He emphasised that the 'invisible' condition often makes people feel isolated, and he wants to show others that it is nothing to be ashamed of.
