BBC presenter Nicki Chapman has revealed she struggles to read and retain information after undergoing brain surgery in 2019 to remove a golf ball-sized benign tumour. The 59-year-old Escape to the Country star underwent a four-and-a-half-hour operation that successfully removed the growth, but she says her concentration has suffered as a result.
Struggles with reading and memory
Appearing on the My Mate Bought a Toaster podcast, Chapman said: "Sadly, I struggle with reading now. I can read, obviously, but my concentration is gone. I had a brain tumour, and I don't know whether it's age or anything, but my attention span has gone when I read. I can read, but I have to really concentrate."
She added: "I have to learn my scripts, I just find everything takes a little bit longer. Learning my lines takes longer, retaining information takes a little bit longer." Despite these challenges, she described them as a "small price to pay" to still be alive.
Early symptoms and diagnosis
In March 2019, Chapman first noticed symptoms when her vision changed. She said: "I couldn't seem to move my eyes across a line of words to read them on my computer. And I struggled to type a response to emails." She also experienced memory issues, recalling: "I went to do a voice-over for Escape To The Country, and I couldn't remember the name of John, the executive producer. I've known him for 15 years. I had to look it up on my phone. Then I realised my speech was subtly affected. I was talking about a holiday we'd just had in Dubai. I could see the word Dubai in my mind, but I struggled to say it. I told myself it must be the menopause."
After hospital tests, she was told she had a golf ball-sized benign brain tumour on the back, left-hand side of her head that had been there "for years". Surgeons said they needed to operate "quite soon" as it was "pressing on my brain".
Gratitude for NHS care
Chapman praised the care she received, saying: "The NHS care I've had at the Charing Cross Hospital in London has been first class. Amazing. And I've found an inner strength." She added: "My mum said, 'I'm a tough old bird, and you're like me, Nicki.'"
