John Craven's hearing deteriorated so much he worried it would affect his presenting role on 'Countryfile'.
John Craven
The 81-year-old TV legend has hosted the nature programme on the BBC since 1989, but he has suffered from a loss of hearing in recent years.
He said: "Outdoors, familiar sounds of nature were becoming muted – would that eventually affect my work on programmes like Countryfile? I forced myself to face the fact that, like one in every six people in the UK, I was suffering from hearing loss. That is around 11 million, with two-thirds of us over the age of 60."
After years of suffering, John eventually got hearing aids, which improved everything.
He said: "I booked a free hearing test at Specsavers – and it changed my life. As soon as the aids were fitted (a bit of manoeuvring at first but it soon became second nature) the difference was astounding. I was back in the world of full-blown sound."
In recent years, the presenter revealed his hearing levels have dropped by 20 per cent since that first test, which was back in 2008.
And he is keen to remove the stigma of hearing aids, insisting they should be "as socially acceptable as wearing spectacles".
In a piece for the Daily Mirror newspaper, he wrote: "There is nothing to be ashamed of. Any remaining stigma attached to hearing loss needs to be challenged and wearing a hearing aid should be as socially acceptable as wearing spectacles.
"I am thankful and happy to wear both. Anyone who has made the decision to wear hearing aids will tell you how wonderful it is to be given back the ability to listen, both to human voices and to the sounds of nature."