Harry Enfield 'partially deaf' after freshwater swimming

Harry Enfield has revealed he has been left with hearing problems after years of freshwater swimming.

The 65-year-old comedy actor appeared on the Off Menu podcast, where he said he is now "partially deaf" after being diagnosed with exostoses, more commonly known as surfer's ear.

"I’m deaf, partially deaf," he told hosts Ed Gamble and James Acaster.

"And because I swim in Highgate Ponds, I’ve got stalactites in my ears."

The actor went on to explain that the condition was discovered after he went to get hearing aids fitted.

"They’ve got tiny little hearing aids you can get now, and apparently they’re very good. They cost a fortune, but they’re worth having. So, I went to get them fitted.

"They said, 'No, you’ve got big bones - stalactites - that have grown in your ears. Do you do a lot of freshwater swimming?’ I said, ‘Well, yeah’. They said, ‘Ah, that’s what it is’."

Exostoses occur when repeated exposure to cold water and wind irritates the ear canal, triggering the body to grow new lumps of bone.

According to the HSE, surfer’s ear is a medical condition caused by repeated exposure to cold water and wind. It advises that wearing earplugs while in the water is the best way to reduce the risk of developing the condition.

The growths develop slowly and can lead to problems with trapped earwax, ear canal infections and, in some cases, hearing loss. It usually affects both ears.

Enfield said there is an option to have the growths removed, but added that the process can be "very painful and take a long time".

He joked: "I’d sooner not hear what you’re saying."

The actor then compared his ears to a "little cave", joking that the cause of the health issues could be due to the "rotting corpses at the bottom" of the ponds.

Last year, Enfield also spoke about his hearing loss on The Third Act podcast, saying that he was now "getting very deaf and I just cannot hear in restaurants".

He explained that he often asked venues to turn off their background music.

Enfield is best known for his work on shows including Harry Enfield’s Television Programme, Harry Enfield & Chums and Harry & Paul, in which he created and portrayed characters including Kevin the Teenager, Loadsamoney, Smashie and Nicey, The Scousers, Tim Nice-But-Dim and Mr "You Don’t Want to Do It Like That".

Source: Press Association