Big Brother star battling life-threatening brain tumour shares daunting health update: ‘A chance of facial paralysis’

Big Brother star battling life-threatening brain tumour shares daunting health update: ‘A chance of facial paralysis’

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Lauren Williams

By Lauren Williams


Published: 13/04/2024

- 16:49

The Big Brother star revealed she had been diagnosed with a brain tumour at the beginning of the month

Big Brother star Charlie Doherty has revealed that she could be paralysed if she goes ahead with the brain tumour surgery.

Doherty starred on the 17th series of the show and was housed with the controversial Andrew Tate, as well as Lateysha Grace and Marco Pierre White Jr.


She initially took to her Instagram account to reveal the news to her fans but has since given an update on the next steps of her treatment.

Doherty had been going back and forth to the doctors to have various tests done which “didn’t show anything”, but recently admitted she “knew” that her body felt different and something needed to be done.

The mum-of-one is currently waiting for further information as to what the next steps are but has revealed how angry she is after feeling “fobbed off” by health services.

Doherty pushed for over a year for an MRI scan and told The Daily Star: “After I heard the words brain tumour, I pretty much switched off, I couldn't retain anything else they said."

Charlie Doherty

Charlie admitted she could be paralysed if she underwent the operations

CHANNEL 4

Not wanting to waste any time, Doherty went ahead with her own research and found that she will likely have three different options.

“You can either watch and wait, and they can check on it every so often and whatever and see if it grows, radiotherapy, or have the surgery to remove it.

“I know there's a chance you can go completely deaf in one ear, there's also a chance of facial paralysis as well and then you may need to learn how to walk again after the surgery because it seems to shut the brain down for a short time."

When she first noticed there was something wrong, Doherty had been suffering from extreme sound sensitivity and beeping noises in her ears for months, but the doctors claimed there was nothing wrong with her.

Charlie Doherty

Charlie revealed her diagnosis at the beginning of the month

CHANNEL 4

Wanting to help others out there who may have had similar symptoms, she urged: “If you know there's something wrong, get a second opinion, and keep pushing for further tests.

“If I didn't do that I could be sat here with a brain tumour and not even know anything about it. It's bad enough that I've been telling them for a year.

"The waiting game is the worst bit as well, and it's the not knowing, I haven't had a lot of time to research into properly myself as I've been looking after my little boy Charlie.

“So, I have to put his needs first, I can't just go and do some research or have a bath when I want to."

Charlie Doherty

Charlie gave an update on her tumour

ITV/INSTAGRAM

When announcing the news on her Instagram, she noted: “I don't know if this was caused by environmental factors but if I was to hazard a guess it could be from mobile phone use in my right ear for a number of years/sunbeds/nightclubs in loud music.

“That's obviously just speculation as I don't know enough about it yet. Other than it's rare and does have treatment options.”

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