Alan Titchmarsh's 'devastating' hidden health battle which left him feeling 'isolated'

Alan has opened up about his own experience with hearing loss (Image: undefined)

Love Your Garden star Alan Titchmarshopened up about his hidden health battle after being inspired by Strictly star Tasha Ghouri.

As Tasha opened up about her hearing issues, for which she wears hearing aids, he praised her openness on hearing loss during a talk with Jane Garvey and Fi Glover on Times Radio.

He opened up about about his own "invisible" hearing aids which he has come to need in recent years. Alan admitted that while his hearing aids are not immediately visible, he's not shy about it, stating: "More folks [should] stand up and say, oh for goodness sake, get real, it happens as you get a bit older.

"There's such a stigma attached to them, isn't there, you know, old folk with hearing aids. But I know several young people who are having to wear hearing aids and feel absolutely devastated by it."

Alan concluded with a commendation of Tasha Ghouri's attitude on the dance floor as a source of hope and resilience, remarking: "I think people like Tasha Ghouri on Strictly Come Dancing are such beacons of hope and just get on with it. We all have problems and as you get older, particularly with men, it's your upper register that seems to go."

Tasha had some painful side effects while appearing on Strictly (Image: BBC)

The Ground Force star clarified that he is "not stone deaf" and his family don't have to shout for him to hear them. However, he has found that hearing aids significantly enhance his cognitive abilities, particularly during filming, making the process smoother for everyone involved, including himself.

This isn't the first time the celebrity has opened up about his hearing loss. In a 2015 column for The Telegraph, he shared how isolating and debilitating the condition can be, describing it as one of life's greatest injustices that often lacks sympathy.

Alan revealed he hadn't yet received hearing aids but sensed a "syringing session" was imminent after a discussion with his doctor. Hearing loss is far from a rare condition.

The NHS reports that it typically develops with age or due to exposure to loud noises over a lifetime. According to the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, an estimated 10 million people in the UK, or one in six, suffer from some form of hearing difficulty or deafness.

There are various treatments available depending on the cause and severity of the condition, including hearing aids, bone-anchored implants, cochlear implants and middle ear implants.

Tasha, a staunch advocate for cochlear implants, has used her platform to raise awareness. However, she recently revealed the painful side effects of her condition: "I suffer from bad migraines because my brain is so overworking and because of the magnet and the coil, it is quite painful quite a lot because they're such strong magnets,' she added. 'They are really strong and can really pulsate and give me really bad headaches."