Return to Paradise actor Lloyd Griffith has revealed that he suddenly lost hearing in his right ear, and the drama's creators responded by writing a hearing aid into his character, Detective Senior Constable Colin Cartwright.
Griffith said he became deaf in his right ear after his hearing went within an hour while he was at a wedding. Treatment failed to restore it, and he now wears a hearing aid. Rather than turning the experience into a major storyline, the team decided Colin would simply wear a hearing aid too.
Sudden Diagnosis and Treatment
Griffith discussed his experience alongside co-star Anna Samson on BBC Breakfast on Friday, October 23, ahead of the drama's third series, which begins on November 6. The Death in Paradise spin-off follows Anna's character, DI Mackenzie Clarke, in Dolphin Cove.
Presenter Naga Munchetty asked: "The other thing about inclusivity in the programme, the twist being a female lead, you've had written into the series your hearing impairment. Tell me about that."
Griffith replied: "So a year ago this month I actually lost my hearing in real life. I was at a wedding and it just went. I got diagnosed with sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
"It just went within an hour, I had never heard of it before, just in my right ear. So I went to hospital and it can be treated, in some cases you can recover your hearing with steroids and steroid injection but sadly, that didn't happen."
Creators' Decision and Stigma
He explained how the programme's creators responded: "So I now have a hearing aid, I'm completely deaf in my right ear. Then the show's creators said 'well let's just give Colin a hearing aid', and the BBC were like it would be great if you could wear it as well because it's all about visibility and making sure that people just feel seen by someone wearing hearing aids."
He continued: "There still is a stigma with someone wearing a hearing aid, especially someone as young as me... That element of inclusivity it's lovely to be able to wear it and be seen wearing it and be able to talk about it on shows like this."
Anna added: "And it hasn't been made a thing of on the show, it just is, it just exists."
On-Set Moment
Naga asked: "I was going to say has it been written in or anything or is it just there?"
Griffith answered: "Peter the creator was just like look, people will become deaf you don't have to make a big thing about it, you just wear a hearing aid now. Colin wear a hearing aid, so it was great, it was amazing. I mean there was one scene where I didn't hear cut and I was in a cupboard for 15 minutes."
Anna recalled: "Yeah he was in there for ages and we'd all just moved on."
BBC Breakfast can be streamed on BBC iPlayer. Return to Paradise returns Friday, November 6 on BBC One.
