Street wise
The 79-year-old has a marked hearing loss in high frequencies and finds normal conversation and speech extremely difficult to understand. Until recently — when he was fitted with digital hearing aids by Specsavers — he coped by relying on visual prompts when playing Ken Barlow on the set of Coronation Street.
“Living with hearing difficulties is a challenge,” he says, adding that his hearing has become much worse over the past few years. “I’ve found myself becoming more and more isolated as a result. Like many, I’ve simply suffered in silence, putting up with mishearing conversations and feeling left out.
