KT Tunstall has explained how she went 97 per cent deaf in one ear after losing her hearing overnight. 

The singer, 49, traced the condition back to a long flight to get to a Spice Girls concert 15 years ago which left her ears ‘ringing’ and unable to detect quieter sounds.

She told OK! magazine how she went deaf ‘overnight’ in 2018 after suffering from sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL). 

KT explained: ‘It was a huge shock. I’m 97 per cent deaf in that ear now and can’t use a hearing aid because it’s gone too far…. 

‘I’m not blaming the Spice Girls, but I think it overloaded my nervous system. I woke up with ringing in my ear, like I’d gone underwater. I couldn’t hear the car indicator or a shower in another room.’

This was not the biggest worry for the Scottish musician, however, as she developed another health problem from the sudden loss of hearing. 

KT Tunstall has explained how she went 97 per cent deaf in one ear after losing her hearing overnight (pictured in May)

The singer, 49, traced the condition back to a long flight to get to a Spice Girls concert 15 years ago which left her ears ‘ringing’ (pictured in 2021)

‘But the worst part wasn’t the deafness, it was the vertigo,’ she added. ‘I lost my balance completely, for two or three months. That was really disabling. Thankfully it pᴀssed, and I can still write, record, perform – just in mono.

‘I started seeing it as a message from the universe telling me to slow down, look after myself. I still tour, but I’m more careful.’ 

As she prepares to turn 50 later this year, and celebrate the 20th anniversary of her breakthrough album Eye To The Telescope, KT admitted she feels like it is the end of an era but that she is proud of her age and how she remains a force in the music industry.

It comes after the noughties icon looked worlds away from her heyday as she appeared on The One Show in March.

She left fans gobsmacked as she graced TV screens with an undercut hairdo and a swipe of pink lipstick to match her jumper and nails.

Some fans wrote on Instagram: ‘What? Thought she was still like 25’; ‘That whole album was amazing and she’s looking very cool.’

KT appeared on the show to celebrate her single Suddenly I See turning 20.

As she prepares to turn 50 and celebrate the 20th anniversary of her breakthrough album Eye To The Telescope, KT admitted she feels like it is the end of an era (pictured in 2006)

Speaking of the single, she said: ‘I have people coming up to me going “I’ve listened to you my whole life”.

‘I’m like “what?” It was amazing because the song ended up much better known than me. I remember going to a party and someone went “oh, what do you do?”

‘I said it was the song at the beginning of Devil Wears Prada and she went “oh my God, you’re on the party playlist”. I was so lucky to have a song that connected with people like that.’

In January, KT revealed she is considering adoption having been adopted as a baby herself.

She said the thought of taking on parental responsibility for a child ‘does cross my mind’.

KT, who does not have any children and lives with partner Chris Light in the USA, was put up for adoption when she was just days old and then taken in by Scottish couple David and Rosemarie Tunstall.

Speaking to Saga magazine, she said: ‘I was adopted along with my older brother, but my mum and dad did have a son after being told they couldn’t have children.

‘Mum always joked, “Everyone else got what they got, but you got chosen”, though the truth is you’re always going to have a bit of an abandonment issue.

It comes after the noughties icon looked worlds away from her heyday as she appeared on The One Show in March (pictured, right, in 2007)

‘It didn’t hit me until late in life. I found my biological mother at the age of 23 and it was really enriching to my life – but tough.

‘I had never been able to find my biological father so I went on ITV show Long Lost Family and they did, but he’d pᴀssed away.

‘When the programme got in touch with my two sisters, they had no idea they had a sibling, so they broke it to them gently, saying, “We think you’ve got a sister you didn’t know you had – and she’s famous”.

‘And the younger one said, “It’s KT Tunstall!” She got my album, which they had in the house, and held it up against the picture of our dad and just went, “They look exactly the same”.’

The Black Horse and the Cherry Tree hitmaker continued: ‘Adoption does cross my mind.

‘It’s an amazing thing to do if you are a secure enough adult to provide an amazing life for a kid. 

‘I’m turning 50 soon. Ask me then.’

What is sensorineural hearing loss?

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) occurs when sound can’t reach your inner ear. It can occur suddenly or gradually, and may be present at birth or develop later. 

SNHL, particularly the age-related variant, is one of the most common types of hearing loss in adults. It often develops between the ages of 50 and 70. 

Causes include infection, trauma and loud noise exposure. While you might not be able to cure SNHL, hearing aids, cochlear implants or other devices can help you hear again. 

Source: Cleveland Clinic