Gogglebox star Daniel Lustig-Webb, 50, has revealed his long-hidden struggle with deafness, sharing that he has been fully deaf in one ear since childhood.
In an emotional interview with Scene Magazine, Daniel admitted he kept this a secret for many years but is now learning sign language to manage the condition.
Daniel explained to the publication, “I contracted mumps when I was younger, which led to an ear infection and caused permanent hearing loss in one ear.”
He added, “For years, I kept it hidden because I didn’t want people to see me as ‘different’ or less capable.”
The TV star reflected on how his hearing loss made school challenging, recalling how he was often “picked on” by other students.
He also mentioned that teachers underestimated his abilities, and he struggled to concentrate at times, not realizing that it was due to his hearing issues.
As an adult, Daniel’s deafness has continued to affect his life, with social occasions like parties often leaving him feeling “exhausted” and taking a toll on him. Now at 50, he has decided to be open about his hearing loss and is planning to learn sign language.
He expressed his desire to connect with the deaf community and offer support to others facing similar struggles. “Deafness isn’t a weakness, it’s part of me,” he said.
Daniel, who was previously on Gogglebox with his husband Stephen Webb, revealed in April 2024 that they were getting a divorce after six years of marriage. In a conversation on Best’s Suddenly Single podcast, Daniel spoke about the “traumatic” and “devastating” split, as well as his current experiences with dating.
Despite their decision to split, Daniel revealed that he and Stephen were still living together as they worked on selling their apartment. He shared, “We’re still living together. We’re trying to sell our apartment. We cohabit really well together.”
He explained that their split had been a gradual process, and for a while, they were even still sharing the same bed.
Daniel explained that after Stephen joined Celebs Go Dating, they agreed to sleep in separate bedrooms. Despite the split, they managed to maintain a good relationship, cohabiting well and sharing responsibilities as “dog dads.” He reflected on their relationship, saying, “As soon as we started dating, I said, ‘this guy is so different to me,’ but we got on so well, even though we came from completely different backgrounds.”
Opening up about their breakup, Daniel admitted, “It was devastating. For me, it was traumatic, and although I knew things weren’t great, I didn’t see it coming.”
He described the split as a slow process because they had been so deeply entwined in each other’s lives, with shared businesses and responsibilities. He reassured that there was no cheating involved, adding, “There was nothing underhand happening, no-one had slept with anyone else.”
Ultimately, he said, their differences, despite the initial attraction, became the root of their issues, explaining, “Stephen was the complete opposite to me… opposites attract, but fundamentally that was our problem in the end.”
Daniel confirmed that he’s back on the dating scene, admitting that after the breakup, he was going on multiple dates with different people, trying to fill the void left by the split. “Once I got over the shock, in the summer I was going on date after date, I was on apps all the time,” he said. “But now I realize I was trying to fill a void.”
He shared that his friends had noticed his struggles and checked in on him, but now, he feels happy being single. “I love going on dates, but I don’t need a long-term relationship. I need to repair myself a little and learn who I am again,” he explained.
Reflecting on his first post-split date, Daniel mentioned, “The first guy I dated after Stephen, I went on about six dates with him in London. He was very nice, and we’d go somewhere really nice and have a snog in the end. But it was like teenage dating—nothing sexual at all.”
He also revealed that the relationship ended because the guy realized Daniel wasn’t quite in the right frame of mind to pursue something serious.