Movies

DJ Son of Zoe Ball and Norman Cook Reveals His Tinnitus Struggle

BBG News

Woody Cook has spoken up about his concern over potential hearing loss, sharing details about his prolonged battle with tinnitus.

24-year-old, the son of Zoe Ball and Norman Cook, started experiencing tinnitus at the age of 12. This condition occurred after he frequently accompanied his father to music festivals and concerts during his childhood years.

Currently, Woody is carrying on the legacy of his dad, Fatboy Slim, as a DJ, and he’s made it a point to alert fellow musicians and festival attendees about the potential risks associated with tinnitus.

Tinnitus refers to experiencing sounds like ringing, humming, or whistling within your ears, but these noises don’t come from any external source, as explained by the National Health Service (NHS).

To TopMob, Woody openly discussed his worries that he might experience hearing loss within the next 20 to 40 years due to exposure to excessively loud music, which has already caused some damage to his ears.

After wrapping up tasks and activities, Woody often experiences frequent ringing sounds, which he recently disclosed during Tinnitus Awareness Week while collaborating with Specsavers.

In the hush of silence, I often find myself captivated, it’s those moments that seem to resonate deeply. Yet, there are times when an unexpected ring interrupts, like a stray note in a symphony I never composed.

‘Though the specific symptoms aren’t severe, the potential implications and long-term harm are concerning. In other words, will there still be chances for communication between us in 30 or 50 years?’

In the throes of my unbridled fandom, I can’t help but share my personal experience that mirrors Woody’s. Initially, I too experienced a peculiar phenomenon – a persistent ‘ringing’ in silence that I naively assumed was commonplace. It wasn’t until I delved deeper into the issue that I realized it was more than just an everyday annoyance.

He explained that while his symptoms at the time weren’t severe, they were noticeable – much like a faint ringing you might occasionally hear in a silent space.

I initially assumed it sounded similar to the usual noise from the lights, but as time passed, I began to wonder if what we heard might not have been ordinary.

Woody had always been resolute about not leaving DJing due to his tinnitus, yet he’s taken steps for safety now. These measures include using earplugs and maintaining a bit of distance from the speakers.

He mentioned that he tends to position himself at a slight distance from the subwoofer and reduces its volume a tad when working in the DJ booth.

Occasionally, I follow acts such as Nicky Blackmarket who, interestingly enough, uses a hearing aid.

Upon entering, I immediately lower the volume because it’s blaring so loudly that it seems impossible for me to focus my thoughts without some reduction in sound.

My love for music remains as strong as ever. Just like Beethoven, who continued composing despite his deafness, I too plan to carry on my musical journey, albeit in some unique fashion.

Woody is motivated to spread awareness about the risks associated with tinnitus, a condition he was unaware of as a child, as he often fell asleep to excessively loud music through his headphones at night.

Despite his mother Zoe, a presenter, warning him for years about potential hearing damage from sleeping with music on, Woody chose to disregard her concerns.

Until very recently, people generally paid little attention, and even now, when you receive the message ‘Lower it, lower it’ while using an iPhone, I never had such a thing growing up, he pointed out.

Back in my teenage years, around 13 or 14, I would crank up the volume on my headphones and play Now That’s What I Call Music non-stop throughout the night. At that time, there were no warnings about excessive noise levels.

At that point in time, my mom cautioned me against wearing in-ear headphones at night, a warning I didn’t heed because of my youthful exuberance. However, if my phone had warned me about potential hearing damage instead, I probably would have taken the advice more seriously.

During Tinnitus Awareness Week, held from February 3rd to the 9th, Woody collaborated with Specsavers to promote routine hearing examinations, aiming to increase public awareness and participation.

According to a Specsavers poll involving 2,000 British adults aged 40 and above, it was found that approximately 73% of them seldom or never employed measures to safeguard their hearing when subjected to noisy settings in their younger years.

Approximately 42% of this group reported their hearing as average or subpar, and about 60% admitted to occasionally experiencing ringing in their ears (tinnitus).

Woody mentioned that an essential aspect of Specsavers’ goal is to ensure that anyone who suspects they might be experiencing hearing-related issues can easily access a hearing test, and similarly, everyone has the opportunity to acquire hearing protection if needed.

They are advocating for an increase in nightclubs providing this substance, with it being made available to bar staff. While sound technicians may be familiar with it, many others are not well-informed. Therefore, the recommendation is to educate everyone about it.

He mentioned that it’s always beneficial to have an ear exam early on since you’ll likely keep those ears throughout your lifetime. He then humorously suggested: “Just as with any aspect of life, use protection!

I’m the oldest offspring of Zoe and Norman, often recognized under the stage name Fatboy Slim in the music world. Along with us, they have a 15-year-old daughter named Nelly as well.

The couple married in 1999 and went their separate ways in 2016, but remain great friends.

Read More

2025-02-13 16:10

Previous post Brawl Stars: How One Player Beat KCP Tyrant and Brought Chaos to the Ranked Match
Next post Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Takes Kart Racing to Another Dimension in New Gameplay