Nicki Chapman's brain tumour has gone: 'I hope the b*****d never comes back'
Escape To The Country's Nicki Chapman says she sobbed when she found out the brain tumour she has been living with for the last three years had gone.
The presenter, who started out in the 90s music PR scene and was a judge on the first series of Pop Idol, revealed in 2019 she'd had surgery on the tumour and now says she has been 'fortunate' despite the 'life-changing' experience.
Describing the moment she got the call from her 'amazing' consultant she told Kate Thornton on White Wine Question Time: "I was sobbing."
She explained that she was standing in a field with the crew from Escape To The Country, who knew she was expecting a call and moved away to give her some privacy.
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She said: "And I'm looking at all these pigs. My amazing consultant rang me and said: 'The tumour, Nicki, has gone. For the moment it's disappeared.'"
Doctors couldn't explain why the tumour, which she had nicknamed 'Bert' had gone, but Chapman said she was looking at the positives. She said: "We take the good where we can, always look for the win in every situation.
"So Bert, for the moment has gone. And in the nicest of ways, I hope the b*****d never comes back."
Doctors had to leave a 'sliver' of the tumour in her brain when operating, because it was too dangerous to take out, but for now she said: "At the moment, it's gone. There's no trace, just the scar tissue.
"The NHS will keep monitoring me, and I will happily go to every appointment that they ask me to go to. But [it's been] life changing, absolutely.
"I wouldn't want anyone to go through anything like that. And so many people, sadly are and do and I know I am fortunate."
Read more: Nicki Chapman speaks out after brain tumour surgery
She revealed that doctors had told her early in the process that she might lose sight in one eye, or even some of her speech, when they operated on the tumour.
She said her husband, music producer Dave Shackleton, asked her if she was okay after the appointment because she seemed to be 'quite high'.
She explained to him: "He's told me I'm going to live. Unless something goes wrong on the operating theatre, which we know can happen, I'm going to live. I'll take being partially sighted or whatever. I'll take that.
"If I lose the sight in one eye so be it, I can live with that. That's a small price to pay for life."
Chapman was back to filming six weeks after the operation, despite being told by doctors she could be out for up to three months.
She told Thornton: "It's amazing what you will accept in life, you do find strength that you didn't know you had."
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