Kirsty Gallacher has opened up on her health battle after being diagnosed with a benign acoustic neuroma, which is a rare type of tumour that grows on the nerve used for hearing and balance
Sky Sports News legend Kirsty Gallacher has opened up on the tumour symptom she initially believed was due to a cold, as she prepares to undergo radiotherapy.
The 49-year-old, who spent nearly two decades at the channel across two separate periods before moving to GB News and Gold Radio, was diagnosed with a benign acoustic neuroma during the summer of 2021. The rare, inoperable growth develops on the nerve responsible for hearing and balance, and is now pressing against her brain.
Despite being benign, the tumour has left Gallacher experiencing symptoms such as tinnitus and hearing loss, with her struggle with the former disrupting her sleep and forcing her to step away from GB News in December 2021. She first noticed hearing problems while working at the channel, initially assuming she simply had a cold, before medical professionals investigated and uncovered the reality.
Speaking to The Sun’s Fabulous Magazine earlier this year, she revealed: “I was doing GB rehearsals and I had my earpiece, but I couldn’t hear. I had been travelling a bit and I thought maybe I had a bit of a cold. Then I literally woke up one morning and couldn’t hear properly. I went to see a doctor, who said it was an emergency as it could be a brain tumour.
“I had to have an MRI and doctors discovered I had an acoustic neuroma. We have to monitor it as I don’t want them to operate on it as it’s so close to the brain. I have to have targeted radiotherapy for it, so I’m having to think about that and when I will do it.”
Gallacher gave a further health update during her appearance on ITV’s Loose Women on Tuesday as she opened up on the tumour, which is situated in her right ear’s inner canal. She revealed she’ll undergo radiotherapy in November, with the growth deemed “too dangerous” for surgical removal.
“A couple of years ago, I literally woke up and I couldn’t really hear out of my right ear and I thought, ‘Oh, that’s a bit odd,'” she explained. “I’d flown the week before and thought maybe it’s not popped, and went to the doctor, and it was a medical emergency because obviously, it could be a brain tumour.
“They were brilliant, they sent me straight to see a consultant. It took a while for them to work out what was going on because it was after Covid, but it is called an acoustic neuroma, which is a benign tumour that happens to many people. Don’t know why.”
The presenter added: “I’m having radiotherapy in November, I’m really nervous… It’s growing sadly. It’s dangerous because it’s pressing on the brain as well, it’s right by the brain… we hope that it might do the job, zap it. It’s quite straightforward. I’m very lucky it’s benign, I’m very lucky that it’s not huge, but it’s the only way of managing it.'”.
Discussing her battle with tinnitus and hearing loss, Gallacher admitted that the symptoms had knocked her confidence in social situations, though she had learned not to dwell on the “constant buzzing” that the former causes.
“I just go home because I can’t hear,” she confessed. “I do much more lip-reading as well. When I’m out I can find it quite upsetting. The tinnitus won’t go, but I hope [the radiotherapy] will make me safe. I’ve learnt to just not think about it, not focus on it. There is a lot of help out there.”
During her stint with Sky Sports, Gallacher played a key role in breaking some of the most significant sporting stories of the early 21st century, with her flourishing career subsequently landing her positions on major programmes across Sky, ITV and Channel 4.
With Gladiators and Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway both featuring on her impressive résumé, she made a comeback Sky in 2011 before departing the broadcaster once more in 2018. Following her departure, she has dedicated much of the past seven years to bringing her presenting skills to radio, fronting programmes on Smooth Radio and Gold Radio, alongside her short-lived period with GB News.
Revealing her exit from GB News on Instagram, Gallacher admitted her severe tinnitus had been worsened by the early starts she made to present the channel’s breakfast programme.
“During the summer I discovered I have a tumour in the inner canal of my right ear,” she wrote. “Thankfully, it’s benign and not hugely detrimental to my normal life. However, the tumour has caused severe tinnitus, which makes it difficult to sleep. Sadly my 3am starts at GB News, compounded by sleep deprivation, are exacerbating my symptoms.
“I’ve taken the difficult decision to step back from my role on the Great British Breakfast while I focus on my health. GB News has been incredibly supportive of me, and I look forward to returning to the channel as soon as I can. As I adjust to managing my condition, I will carry on my less disruptive work commitments and continue maintaining a healthy lifestyle and training so I can get back to my normal routine quickly.”