Nicki Chapman, star of Escape to the Country, has bravely shared the heart-wrenching details of her battle with a brain tumour, describing the experience as the most terrifying of her life. In her new memoir So Tell Me What You Want, the 57-year-old opens up about the devastating moment she was diagnosed with a tumour the size of a golf ball in 2019, after experiencing sudden vision loss and slurred speech.
“I thought I was having a stroke,” she recalls, describing the shock of receiving the life-altering diagnosis. Doctors initially believed she had suffered a stroke, but scans revealed a meningioma — a non-cancerous, but potentially life-threatening tumour.
Nicki underwent surgery to remove part of the tumour, but despite its risky location, it mysteriously disappeared. Reflecting on the ordeal, Nicki shares, “It made me appreciate life more than ever before.” Though she remains grateful it wasn’t brain cancer, the emotional scars remain.
“I don’t like talking about it,” she admits. “It makes me cry.” To cope, she keeps the painful memories locked away in her “mental filing cabinet,” a place she only revisits when necessary. Yet, she remains thankful for the love and support from her family and her rock, husband Dave Shackleton.
Nicki’s journey is a testament to her strength, resilience, and unshakable will to move forward, choosing to focus on the positive and live her life to the fullest.
