Former Sky star Kirsty Gallacher has given her fans an update on her benign brain tumour after being banned from driving by a judge

Kirsty Gallacher has opened up about her ongoing health struggles after revealing her benign brain tumour is “growing very fast” as she hit out at a judge for showing “no empathy” while handing her a six-month driving ban. The 49-year-old TV presenter admitted speeding but pleaded with the court not to ban her from driving, insisting she needed her car for work and family commitments. She also told the court she could not afford to rely on taxis as she is the sole financial provider for her two sons.

Speaking in court, Kirsty revealed that the tumour, known as an acoustic neuroma, has left her deaf in one ear and caused persistent tinnitus.

She explained: “I have a brain tumour, an acoustic neuroma, which is benign. But it’s growing very fast. They have monitored it for the last three years. I am now doing radiotherapy. We don’t know if the radiotherapy is going to work, if it will shrink it or not. It’s a bit of a suck-it-and-see situation.”

She added: “I am not a precious person, I am very humble. I am not saying that I can’t use public transport. We have all, now and again, done that.” Her lawyer, Sophia Dower, described the broadcaster as “the epitome of a one-woman band”, explaining that Kirsty handles all aspects of her professional and personal life while dealing with her ongoing health issues.

The presenter, who earns around £150,000 a year hosting on Gold Radio and has approximately £80,000 in savings, was fined a total of £1,044 in addition to receiving the driving ban.

District Judge Arvind Sharma told her: “I accept that things will be harder for you, but those are all manageable. I don’t accept that your son needs a lift every morning, and you have adequate money saved up that you can use taxis for your children and yourself.”

Kirsty has spoken candidly in the past about her health battle and the toll it has taken. Previously, on Instagram, she shared herself receiving a needle in her arm. She captioned it: “And so the radiotherapy prep starts, just under a month to go!”

Kirsty also added another image of a yellow mask and joked, “My ‘Hannibal Lector’ mask… can’t wait” that is used as part of her treatment.