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The Irish Sun
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Gogglebox star reveals horrifying health diagnosis after losing vision while driving – and failing to recognise her pal
GOGGLEBOX star Elaine Cooper has been given a devastating health diagnosis after losing her sight while behind the wheel. Elaine, who previously appeared on Gogglebox with her son Seb, had been driving her car when she briefly went blind. 6 Gogglebox star Elaine Cooper has been given a devastating health diagnosis Credit: Jam Press 6 Elaine previously appeared on Gogglebox with her son Seb Credit: Channel 4 6 The retired teacher now uses a wheelchair to get around Credit: Jam Press The retired music teacher had also found herself suffering with severe forgetfulness, which led to her failing to recognise a friend while out in a cafe. Elaine, 56, even had to be helped at a petrol station after realising she could not remember how to fill up her vehicle. Doctors have since discovered her frightening symptoms were the result of an irreversible bleed on her brain that had been there for 10 weeks. Tragically, there is no cure and Elaine now has to use a wheelchair most of the time. READ MORE ON GOGGLEBOX She has developed double vision and paralysis on the left side of her body - and has been forced to give up both driving and her job. Elaine, who lives in The Forest Of Dean in Gloucs, says she rarely leaves the house since her diagnosis last year and can often feel "isolated". Speaking about the moment she was told the news , Elaine said to NeedToKnow: "I was completely shocked and heartbroken. 'They told me part of my brain had been irreversibly damaged. And as there wasn't anything they could do, this was just who I was now. Most read in TV 'At first, it was difficult and I didn't feel like myself. 'But I knew I had to keep going and try to make the best of a bad situation.' Gogglebox fans convinced show favourites have been replaced after WEEKS off air from the hit Channel 4 show Elaine had put her forgetfulness down to tiredness and getting older. But after losing her vision while out driving, she knew something more sinister was going on. Elaine's sight quickly returned but she says it was "blurry". She also had a "pounding headache" after managing to get herself home. Doctors confirmed Elaine had suffered a stroke in April last year, following a CT scan and an MRI. Recalling one frightening moment she forgot who her pal was, Elaine said: 'I had arranged to meet some friends for lunch. 'As one of my pals walked into the café, I stared at her. I couldn't think where I knew her from. Then it dawned on me, I had forgotten who she was. 'I had forgotten how to fill up the car a few days before that. A man had to come over and help. 'I looked so stupid when he easily lifted off the cap. 'It was terrifying not remembering how to do the simplest of tasks – I truly thought I was losing my mind.' Sadly, Elaine's physical symptoms have worsened since her diagnosis last year. 'I suffer from extreme fatigue that makes me just so tired. I've also developed double vision and paralysis on my left side," she explained. 'It's had such a huge impact on my life. 'I've had to accept that I must use a wheelchair for anything other than moving very short distances. 'But over time, I've learned coping strategies to help with my problems." 'Staying positive' Looking forward, Elaine is attempting to remain positive and has managed to attend several music gigs. She also visits a rehabilitation day centre every week, which she describes as a "turning point". 'If I hadn't been offered a place there, I genuinely don't know what my wellbeing would be like today," Elaine admitted. 'I live in a rural area, which made me isolated, and the whole aspect of that was very [daunting]. 'I hate relying on people for the simplest of things, but acceptance is the biggest barrier. 'It's still scary, but slowly and surely, I'm getting back to some version of the old me.' 6 Elaine is a big music fan Credit: Jam Press 6 She is remaining positive and has managed to attend several gigs recently Credit: Jam Press 6 Elaine has described visits to a rehabilitation centre as 'a turning point' Credit: Jam Press
Metro
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Gogglebox star reveals she suffered 'irreversible' brain damage
Gogglebox star Elaine Cooper has revealed she lost her vision while in the car due to an undetected hemorrhagic stroke. The Channel 4 star, who appeared on the reality series from 2023 to 2024, opened up about the terrifying experience and her symptoms, such as forgetfulness, that she had been experiencing in the lead-up. 'I struggled to make sense of the world around me,' the retired music teacher explained in a new interview. The continued: 'I was completely shocked and heartbroken. They told me part of my brain had been irreversibly damaged. 'And as there wasn't anything they could do, this was just who I was now. At first, it was difficult and I didn't feel like myself. But I knew I had to keep going and try to make the best of a bad situation.' In her chat with Need To Know, the TV personality admitted that her vision eventually returned in the car, although everything was blurry and she suffered from a 'pounding' headache. She then recalled that her concerns started to skyrocket when she started forgetting her friends' names, even when she was meeting up with them and she ultimately felt like she was 'losing my mind'. More Trending After a CT scan and MRI, it was revealed she had suffered from an undetected hemorrhagic stroke ten weeks before losing her vision, with her symptoms continuing to worsen. 'I suffer from extreme fatigue that makes me just so tired. I've also developed double vision and paralysis on my left side. View More » 'It's had such a huge impact on my life,' she said. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Channel 4 TV show expert charged with rape and sexual assault MORE: 'What a ride': Coach Trip legend Brendan Sheerin celebrates show's 20th anniversary MORE: Inside acclaimed artist Jon Batiste's life as he joins The Piano season three
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Gogglebox star loses vision while DRIVING due to undetected brain bleed
A Gogglebox star has shared her harrowing ordeal after experiencing sight loss and extreme forgetfulness, which turned out to be an undetected, irreversible brain bleed. Elaine Cooper's life flashed before her eyes when she suddenly lost total vision while driving. She had been experiencing frequent bouts of forgetfulness, though she put this down to tiredness and simply getting older. The former Channel 4 star, 56, tried to carry on as normal, but then her life was on the line. It turns out she had a bleed on her brain from a hemorrhagic stroke that had been there for 10 weeks. And sadly, there's no treatment or cure. 'I struggled to make sense of the world around me,' the medically retired music teacher, from the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, told NeedToKnow. Elaine said: 'I was completely shocked and heartbroken. They told me part of my brain had been irreversibly damaged. 'And as there wasn't anything they could do, this was just who I was now. At first, it was difficult and I didn't feel like myself. 'But I knew I had to keep going and try to make the best of a bad situation.' Elaine says when her vision returned, everything was blurry. She had managed to get home, but then a 'pounding' headache took hold. Alarm bells didn't go off, though, until she began forgetting her friends' names. She said, 'I had arranged to meet some friends for lunch. As one of my pals walked into the café, I stared at her. 'I couldn't think where I knew her from. Then it dawned on me, I had forgotten who she was. I had forgotten how to fill up the car a few days before that. 'A man had to come over and help. I looked so stupid when he easily lifted off the cap.' She continued: 'It was terrifying not remembering how to do the simplest of tasks – I truly thought I was losing my mind.' It turns out she had a bleed on her brain from a hemorrhagic stroke that had been there for 10 weeks. And sadly, there's no treatment or cure Elaine, who appeared on seasons 22 and 23 of the Channel 4 show, had her diagnosis confirmed in April 2024 following a CT scan and an MRI Elaine, who appeared on seasons 22 and 23 of the Channel 4 show, had her diagnosis confirmed in April 2024 following a CT scan and an MRI. Since then, the effects of the stroke have worsened and she's had to give up driving, her job, and doesn't often leave home. Elaine added, 'I suffer from extreme fatigue that makes me just so tired. I've also developed double vision and paralysis on my left side. 'It's had such a huge impact on my life. I've had to accept that I must use a wheelchair for anything other than moving very short distances. 'But over time, I've learned coping strategies to help with my problems. And I've been able to attend a few gigs again, too! 'I have regular MRIS and go weekly to a rehabilitation day centre, which has been a real turning point for me. 'If I hadn't been offered a place there, I genuinely don't know what my wellbeing would be like today.' She added: 'I live in a rural area, which made me isolated, and the whole aspect of that was very daunting. 'I hate relying on people for the simplest of things, but acceptance is the biggest barrier. It's still scary, but slowly and surely, I'm getting back to some version of the old me.' WHAT IS A HAEMORRHAGIC STROKE? Haemorrhagic stroke is when you have bleeding in or around the brain. This can damage brain cells. Damage to brain cells can affect how the body works. It can also change how you think, communicate and feel. Stroke is a medical emergency and you should always call 999 if you have any stroke symptoms. If you have a haemorrhagic stroke, you may experience any of the signs of stroke in the FAST test. Many (but not all) people who have a haemorrhagic stroke experience a headache. A sudden, severe headache is very likely with a subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) but can also happen with an intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH). You may sometimes hear this sudden, severe headache called a 'thunderclap headache'. People describe a thunderclap headache as the worst pain they have ever had, and like being hit on the head. If you have a thunderclap headache, even if it goes away by itself or with painkillers, you should call 999. Other common symptoms of SAH include a stiff neck, nausea and vomiting. In stroke due to ICH, the symptoms depend on where the bleed happens in the brain, but can include weakness, numbness, visual loss or difficulty with speech, and you can have any of the signs of stroke in the FAST test.
