Kirsty Gallacher has shared an update on her benign brain tumour, revealing she is due for an MRI scan to assess the effectiveness of radiotherapy she underwent last year. The 50-year-old presenter, best known for her work on Sky Sports, was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma in the summer of 2021.
Appearing on the Vanessa show, Gallacher told host Vanessa Feltz that the tumour is located in the inner canal of her right ear and is inoperable. She explained that the radiotherapy aimed to shrink the tumour and kill the DNA that causes it to grow. 'The success rate's very good, it's not going to get rid of it. It's whether it shrinks it,' she said.
Gallacher, who has experienced hearing loss and tinnitus as a result of the tumour, noted that her tinnitus has worsened since her last public update. She has declined a hearing aid, stating she is 'not there yet' and is managing her condition. However, she admitted that noisy environments can be challenging, sometimes forcing her to leave social situations.
The presenter first noticed symptoms a few years ago when she woke up unable to hear properly from her right ear. After being referred to a consultant, she was diagnosed with acoustic neuroma, a benign tumour that affects many people. She has previously said that surgery to remove the tumour would be 'very dangerous'.
Last year, Gallacher became emotional while reading a statement about her driving ban for speeding, citing the stress of managing her health. 'I have a brain tumour... it is benign, but it’s growing very fast,' she said at the time. 'I am now doing radiotherapy. We don’t know if the radiotherapy is going to work.'
