Reverend Richard Coles has revealed he needs hearing aids after his pop career in the 80s took a toll on his hearing.
The former Communard star, 62, has opened up about his struggles with hearing loss and hailed the impact of his new state-of-the-art Bluetooth aids “revelatory”.
Speaking to The Times, Coles - who came third in last year’s series of I’m A Celebrity and has previously competed on Strictly Come Dancing - explained that he had only begun taking his ear issues seriously when his tinnitus became overwhelming.
There had also been other signs such as how irritated his friends had become with having to ask him to turn his TV down.
The audiologist sat me in a soundproofed booth, gave me headphones and instructed me to listen for tones at various pitches,” he said.
“The graph displayed a drop steeper than Tesla's share price in my response to high frequencies — the first casualty of the kind of damage too much loud sound can cause.”
The result was he was given two tiny hearing aids, which offer a variety of settings including adjustable volume and the ability to tune into conversation or background noise depending on the occasion.
He only realised just how much they had improved his quality of life when he went to see the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra and Festival Chorus in Walton's Belshazzar's Feast.
Following years of criticising the playing ability of musical performers, he said suddenly everything just clicked.
He told the publication: “I wondered if hearing aids would offer only slight improvement rather than life-transforming change, but then I went to a concert.
“It was revelatory — not only a fine performance, but the sound in the hall was crisp, lively, full of attack and sparkle. I have noticed my piano playing has improved, now I can hear more of it, and my friends say my speech has improved as well.”
They haven’t solved his hearing problems completly however as he says isolating voices in a busy room can still be tricky, making outings to busy restaurants a challenge.
He has found a practical solition to this by instead visiting unpopular eateries at off-peak times so there are limited other people there.
Coles partnered Jimmy Somerville in the 1980s band the Communards. They achieved three UK top-10 hits, including the No. 1 record and best-selling single of 1986, a dance version of "Don't Leave Me This Way".
