Comedian Vic Reeves, 62, has disclosed that he has gone 'completely deaf' in his left ear due to a benign brain tumour. The star, whose real name is James Roderick Moir, revealed he has been diagnosed with a vestibular schwannoma, a non-cancerous growth that develops slowly over many years and does not spread to other parts of the body.
Speaking on The Adam Buxton Podcast, Reeves explained that the tumour, described as the size of a grape, has caused permanent hearing loss. 'I've gone completely deaf, one hundred percent deaf, in my left ear. It will never come back,' he said. He added that doctors are monitoring the tumour as it cannot be surgically removed, though options to shrink it exist.
Reeves described the impact on his daily life, noting difficulties with spatial awareness. 'If a car approaches, I can't tell exactly where it's coming from,' he said. He also lamented the loss of stereo sound, saying he had to discard his stereo LPs. 'No more will I hear Jimi Hendrix doing If Six Was Nine. All I've got left now is Frank Ifield on mono,' he joked.
The comedian, best known for his double act with Bob Mortimer, shared that the tumour has snapped the nerve connecting his ear to his brain. 'You can't re-attach nerves. Not at this stage in medical science anyway,' he said, adding wryly that a cure would likely arrive 'the week after I perish.'
Vestibular schwannoma, also known as acoustic neuroma, typically affects adults aged 30 to 60 and can cause hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo. Reeves, who is married to Nancy Sorrell and has twin daughters, said he has grown accustomed to the condition. 'I'd rather hear than not, but it's happened so you just get on with it,' he concluded.
