August 27th 2024.
Nicki Chapman recently opened up about her experience of being diagnosed with a brain tumour. It's been five years since she received the news and just thinking about it still brings her to tears. The 57-year-old host of Escape to the Country was informed in 2019 that she had a brain tumour the size of a golf ball. Fortunately, it turned out to be non-malignant.
In a recent interview, Nicki reflected on the moment she received the "bombshell" diagnosis. She admitted that the memory still has a strong emotional impact on her. "It makes me cry," she shared. "I have had an amazing life. And, once the bombshell of the tumour dropped, I thought, I don’t want to give this life up. But if this is it? Well – how lucky have I been?"
Despite the emotional toll, Nicki has always had a positive outlook on life. "I was born with the glass half-full," she explained. "I found a strength to deal with it. It was either take me now or let me live."
The first sign that something was wrong came while she was working on her BBC property programme. Nicki went to do her usual voiceover, but couldn’t remember the name of the executive producer, whom she had known for 15 years. This prompted her to seek medical help and led to her diagnosis in 2019.
The presenter underwent emergency surgery to remove part of the tumour, as it was too dangerous to remove it completely. She was warned that the surgery could result in permanent loss of speech, sight, or movement. Thankfully, Nicki's scans showed that the tumour had vanished, much to everyone's surprise and relief.
Nicki shared this news for the first time on the White Wine Question Time podcast in 2022. "I haven’t actually shared this with anybody, but back in October [2021], I was having my yearly scan with my fantastic consultant," she revealed. "He knows I adore him. I tell him regularly in front of my husband how much I adore him and the NHS that looked after me and continue to look after me so well."
She recalled how she received the news while filming Escape to the Country. "My amazing consultant rang me and said, 'The tumour, Nicki, has gone. For the moment, it’s disappeared.' I get a bit teary just thinking about it – and they don’t know why," she shared. "Obviously, I still have to be monitored because these things have habits of changing. But we take the good when we can. Always look for the win in every situation."
Nicki's doctor called her while she was on set and the crew gave her some privacy. "They moved away as they knew that I was receiving a call," she explained. "The tumour was 'gone' with '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."
The news of the tumour disappearing was truly life-changing for Nicki. She feels fortunate to have received such a positive outcome, as she knows that many people sadly go through similar situations with less fortunate results. She added that she will continue to share her story in hopes of raising awareness and encouraging others to stay positive and never lose hope.
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