Gogglebox star Daniel Lustig has opened up about the disability he kept hidden for years out of fear that he would be seen as “different” or “less capable”.
Lustig, 50, appeared alongside his former husband and one of the show’s core personalities, Stephen Webb, from 2018 to 2023. The pair announced their divorce in April last year, but continue to run a hair salon together.
"I've been half deaf since I was a child,” he told People of Prominence. “I got mumps when I was younger, which caused an infection in my ear, and that left me with complete and permanent hearing loss in one ear.”
He explained: "For years, I hid it. I didn't want people to see me as 'different' or less capable."
Lustig detailed the painful experiences he had in school on account of his deafness, saying: “It was tough, I was often picked on and teachers told me I was 'thick' because I struggled to concentrate, not realising it was because I couldn't hear properly. It made me really insecure. I thought I was just failing.”
He said he was done “hiding” but continues to find the discussion around it tiring.
"Going out with friends, trying to join in conversations at parties, it's exhausting. You end up guessing what people say or pretending you hear it all," he said.
"I'd mimic the conversation, hoping no one noticed. But it takes a toll. I've had to learn to listen differently, and sometimes I just switch off."
Celebrating his 50th birthday, he said that the milestone had inspired a newfound confidence.
"At 50, I feel like it's finally time to stop hiding and to be proud of who I am,” he said. “I'm planning to begin learning sign language because I want to connect with the deaf community and support others who might be struggling like I did.
“Deafness isn't a weakness, it's part of me.”
In November last year, Lustig and Webb announced the death of their dog, which they shared while they were in a relationship. The duo are still on good terms despite deciding to divorce after six years in April 2024.
