Comedian Vic Reeves has opened up for the first time about being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour, revealing that it has left him "100% deaf" in one ear.
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The 62-year-old, whose real name is James Moir, made the shocking confession while appearing on The Adam Buxton Podcast this week.
In the interview, the TV star revealed he has a vestibular schwannoma, a type of non-cancerous brain tumour. Although it is currently "completely benign," he stated that it needs to be monitored via regular MRI scans.
WATCH: Vic and wife Nancy Reeves speak to HELLO!
He said: "I've got a vestibular schwannoma – it's a tumour in my head. It's benign. They can't remove it – they can shrink it or they can just leave it and keep an eye on it, and that's what they're doing."
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Discussing how the discovery of the tumour has affected his life, he added: "I've gone 100% deaf in the left ear, and it will never come back."
© Photo: Getty ImagesVic and his wife Nancy have been married since 2003
"I would rather hear than not but this happened so you just get on with it, don't you? I've got used to it," he continued. "I like going out bird watching, and I never know where the birds are. I can hear them, but I don't know what direction they are in. I had to throw away all my stereo LPs.
He added: "If an aeroplane flies over or a car approaches, I don't know where it is."
© Photo: Getty ImagesVic is best known for being one half of a comedy double act with Bob Mortimer
Vestibular schwannoma, also called acoustic neuromas, is a benign growth in the brain that usually grows slowly over many years and does not spread to other parts of the body. They tend to grow on the nerve used for hearing and balance, which can cause problems such as hearing loss and unsteadiness.
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Vic is best known for being one half of comedy double act Vic and Bob with fellow funnyman Bob Mortimer. Earlier this week, Bob confirmed that filming the pair's comedy film about Michael Jackson's glove will begin in 2022. The film entitled The Glove will be helmed by director Tim Kirkby who has previously worked on Fleabag.
"We're filming it in March," Bob said on the RHLSTP podcast. "He [Jackson] had a training glove and few people knew of it but it was what gave him his special powers to entrance the globe and a collector's got it and we're hoping to have a big star in it."
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