Amanda Barrie on her life changing discovery

Actress Amanda Barrie has spent a long glittering career in the theatre, film and television but she recently revealed that it has taken a toll on her hearing.

Best known for playing Alma Halliwell (previously Sedgewick and Baldwin) on Coronation Street, Amanda has also starred in a variety of stage roles, Carry On films and was recently a Celebrity Big Brother housemate.

The 82-year-old was found to have high-frequency hearing loss – which is a common indicator of age-related hearing loss –  during a visit to Specsavers Audiologists.

Research has shown that, on average, there is a 10-year delay between people noticing they have a hearing problem and actually seeking help.¹ Amanda is encouraging anyone who thinks they might have a hearing problem to book a test, which are free at Specsavers.

Amanda Barrie

When did you notice you had a problem with your hearing?

I realised that there was probably something wrong when I was in the Celebrity Big Brother house because I found that I couldn’t hear a word Big Brother was saying. Every time I was given a task to do I had to ask somebody else what the tannoy was asking of me.

How was the hearing test at Specsavers Audiologists?

The visit to the hearing aid audiologist was extremely pleasant, I enjoyed it thoroughly. I was amazed when I was told that I had a hearing problem, but that it did not mean that I was deaf. For me, it means that sounds on some level are not being picked up. I find it particularly difficult in crowded situations.

What was it like wearing hearing aids for the first time?

When I put my hearing aids in it was astonishing, because I could definitely hear so much better. It makes a big difference when a lot of people are talking, and I realised that in loud spaces, particularly restaurants, you do miss out. I just thought it was because it was crowded and there were a lot of people talking very loudly, but it’s not, it’s because my hearing has got worse. I realised that if I had been missing the odd comment, I may have been letting jokes slip or mishearing important things people were saying. I don’t like missing out on anything!

What advice would you give to people struggling with their hearing?

‘Everyone should check their hearing in exactly the same way that they would check their eyesight. They wouldn’t want wait to get their eyesight checked until they couldn’t read, they’d buy glasses. It doesn’t mean that you’ve lost your sight when you get glasses and it doesn’t mean that you have gone completely deaf if you get a hearing aid.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK A HEARING TEST OR FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HEARING LOSS

1 Action on Hearing Loss, Hearing Matters Report

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