Dallas star reveals 40 year hearing loss struggle
Dancing on Ice star and Dallas actress Charlene Tilton broke her silence on her long-term battle with hearing loss, as she launched a UK-wide search to find people who have triumphed despite their own hearing difficulties.
The actress has revealed she has suffered from hearing loss since childhood, and now wears hearing aids in both ears after struggling constantly for more than four decades.
On launching Specsavers’ Sound Barrier Star Awards, an initiative aimed at celebrating achievement in people who are deaf or hard of hearing, Charlene, 52, said: ‘As a little girl I had a lot of problems with my ears, which led to years of painful perforated ear drums throughout my childhood. Since then I have suffered with hearing loss, which has been frustrating and, at times, very upsetting.
‘For years it has only been my family and close friends who have known about my hearing problem and how it has affected me - but with the launch of the Sound Barrier Star Awards I want to help people to understand hearing loss and recognise those who have never let it hold them back.’
According to Colin Campbell, professional services director at Specsavers, Charlene’s hearing loss is a combination of the problems she experienced as a child and ageing. He said: ‘Charlene suffers from a common high-frequency hearing loss. This has an impact on our ability to hear high pitch sound and affects the clarity of speech, which is more noticeable in a social situation. There is also an element of conductive loss, due to damage to the eardrum when she was a child.’
Charlene recalls how her hearing loss affected her life while she was working on hit show Dallas: ‘I remember filming one scene where I had to walk in on-cue. I kept missing it because I just couldn’t hear. The director got annoyed, and just couldn’t believe I couldn’t hear what was going on. I didn’t want to say anything – I went home and cried, and I knew I had to do something.’
Over the years Charlene learnt how to lip-read, but having now been fitted with a digital hearing aid, Charlene’s spirits have been lifted.
‘The difference for me with the hearing aids is the difference between night and day - it is unbelievable. I have lived without hearing aids for so many years I didn’t realise how much I was missing.
‘When I first started training for Dancing on Ice I had to devise a hand signal system with Matt, because I knew I wouldn’t be able to hear his instructions above the music. It was difficult, and could have been dangerous once we started doing lifts and spins. But after the fitting I could hear exactly what Matt was saying – I could even hear my blades on the ice – and I felt myself improve. It’s given me so much more confidence and I love every minute of it.’
The Sound Barrier Sound Awards culminate in a live grand final in August, and for every entry Specsavers will donate £5 to charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. Hearing dogs help transform the lives of deaf people by alerting them to sounds and allowing them greater independence.
Charlene is a self-confessed dog lover and now runs a school for actors who suffer from hearing loss in LA. She knows how important it is to celebrate those who have shown bravery to achieve their goals. She added: ‘I have battled for more than four decades with this – constantly smiling and nodding along at social events when I don’t know what’s being said – so I can’t imagine how hard it is for people who are worse off.
‘I’m so privileged to be involved in the Sound Barrier Star Awards – the courage people who are hard of hearing or deaf show is incredible, and helping such a brilliant charity while honouring these people is an added bonus.’
One in six people in the UK have hearing problems. Anyone can nominate themselves, a friend or family member to enter the Sound Barrier Star Awards by visiting one of over 400 Specsavers hearing centres nationwide and picking up a nomination form, or downloading a form online at specsavers.co.uk/hearing. Entrants will be asked to explain why they deserve to win.