One in five of us have difficulty hearing, regardless of our age or life stage. Yet no one wants to talk about it. Four celebrities are hoping to kick-start a conversation
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Illustration: Martin Satí for Bridge Studio
Do you or does someone you know suffer from hearing loss? We’re here to help – book an appointment on 0800 085 7970 or visit
DISCOVER THE STORIES
Ben Cohen
Gareth Malone
Jennie Bond
Amanda Barrie
The Ears of a LifetimE
Animation: Martin Satí for Bridge Studio
specsavers.co.uk/ hearing
Do you or does someone you know suffer from hearing loss? We’re here to help – book an appointment on 0800 085 7970 or visit specsavers.co.uk/hearing
When Elton John heard Ben Cohen had been suffering from hearing loss since childhood, he got the former England rugby player a pair of state-of-the-art hearing aids (a token of appreciation for Cohen’s LGBTQ+ campaigning). After a lifetime in the aural wilderness, discovering these hearing aids was a game changer.
A Perfect Scrum
Listen to Ben Cohen tell his story here
This sound has been modified to show how Cohen would hear without his hearing aids
This sound has been modified to show what it would be like to listen to Cohen’s story with reduced hearing
Gareth Malone is after the quiet life – an unusual desire, perhaps, for the nation’s favourite choirmaster. But in 2013, a bout of tinnitus, a condition he still suffers from, gave him a newfound appreciation for his hearing and encouraged him to change the way he thought about his ears.
Change of tune
This sound has been modified to show how Malone would hear without his hearing aids
specsavers.co.uk/hearing
Listen to Gareth Malone tell his story here
As with Ben, hearing aids transformed former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond’s world. “They put an end to embarrassing social situations and allow you to participate and enjoy interaction into old age.” And as such, all relationships, new and old, get a new lease of life. What’s not to like about that?
Middle Aged Mixed Messages
Peter Haynes, from Sussex, works in the car department at RM Sotheby’s and collects classic automobiles. “I’m passionate about pre-war cars. Working in classic cars, you could say I live and breathe them. I picked up the bug from my late father who was born at the end of the 1930s. After the war, pre-war cars were cheap – the concept of cars as ‘investments’ didn’t really exist – and as a keen mechanic, he loved restoring and driving them. By the time he retired, he was sitting on quite a few valuable assets. “Nowadays, people often ask me ‘What should I buy?’ and the subtext is: ‘Which car will make me money?’ The answer I always give is to buy what you like, not because it’s a great investment. If you end up buying things solely in the hope they’re a good investment asset, you won’t derive any pleasure out of ownership at all.
Listen to Jennie Bond tell her story here
This sound has been modified to show the challenge Bond faces in a noisy environment
As for any social stigma that surrounds hearing loss, Amanda Barrie is having none of it. The indefatigable 86-year-old actor has always embraced getting older and wearing hearing aids. “There are so many things in life to be embarrassed about. Sticking something in my ear isn’t one of them.”
Carry on with confidence
This sound has been modified to show how Barrie would hear without her hearing aids
Listen to Amanda Barrie tell her story here
