Former Gogglebox star Stephen Webb has avoided cataracts after having vision correction surgery
Stephen Webb felt "conscious" by how "bulgy" his eyes looked in glasses, so he decided to have Laser Lens Replacement/Refractive Lens Exchange - and it has left him feeling like a new person.
Stephen Webb has avoided cataracts after having vision correction surgery.
In August, the former Gogglebox star had Laser Lens Replacement/Refractive Lens Exchange - a common procedure which involves replacing the natural lens inside the eye with a synthetic implant - which starts from £3,497 per eye.
Stephen, 54, felt "conscious" by how "bulgy" his eyes looked in glasses - of which the lenses kept "getting thicker" due to how bad his sight was getting.
The TV personality had a "15-minute per eye" treatment with Sheraz Daya at Centre for Sight's hospital facility in Oxshott, Surrey, and the result of sharper vision has made Stephen feel like a new person now he is "free" of wearing glasses.
Stephen exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "I've been wearing glasses since I was, like, 20.
"And every year, I'd go and get my eyes checked, and my prescription was just - the last sort of like 10 years, they’re just getting worse and worse and worse. So my prescription was going up, so that meant my glasses were getting thicker.
"So in the end, the last pair of glasses I bought just made my eyes look like the bottom of two bear glasses - really magnified.
"And I was really conscious about it - especially when people would look at you from side on, it would kind of make your eyes look really bulgy.
"So that was one of the reasons, pure vanity.
"I'm just sick of wearing [glasses]. They're so expensive - every year I'd have to pay at least £6/700 for a pair of glasses.
"I've got really nice frames, they were always between 2 and 300 quid, the lenses are [£]400, and I was just finding that they just weren't lasting, they were scratching a lot quickly.
"And I just thought, ‘I’m 54, I’m never going to get cataracts now.’
"So I guess it was just preventative as well from stopping [my eyes] from getting even worse."
Asked if he feels like a new person since his Laser Lens Replacement/Refractive Lens Exchange, Stephen continued: "Yeah, I do. Just because I'm really active, I do a lot of running, I horse ride, and wearing glasses is just a hindrance.
"When you're running, they steam up, you can't see through them.
"And it's the same horse riding, I have to wear my helmet, and [glasses] just always got in the way.
"But glasses are always an issue. So, it’s just nice to be free of them."
Mr. Daya, Centre for Sight's founder and Medical Director, is thrilled that Stephen loves his new glasses-free life.
He said: "It’s always a privilege to help patients achieve independence from glasses and contact lenses.
"We’re delighted Stephen is enjoying not just the visual benefits, but also the added - and unexpected - lifestyle perks."
One of Stephen's "lifestyle perks", now that he no longer wears glasses, is that people are not recognising him as much in public.
Speaking about his recent trip to Benidorm, Spain, the 2024 Celebs Go Dating star said: "People who tend to go to Benidorm are definitely my demographic - that’s my core fan base!
"And, yeah, it was just so lovely to go away for - I was only there four days to get some sun and not get recognised ... it was just nice to have a break from that."
However, Stephen's distinctive voice is his "second" giveaway.
He quipped: "My big giveaway was my glasses. But my second giveaway is my voice.
"So if I speak too loudly, I'd see a few people look, they recognise - and people that approach me go, ‘I heard the voice.’ So I still had to [talk] quiet."
Stephen was "nervous" about having Laser Lens Replacement/Refractive Lens Exchange, but he stressed it was pain-free - comparing it to having a "spa treatment".
The star - who thanked everyone at Centre for Sight for being so "lovely" - said: "It was so relaxing. I couldn't believe it. You're not really aware of what's going on because they slightly sedate you, but you're still awake, just something to settle your nerves.
"It honestly felt like I was only in theatre for about 10 minutes. It's about 15 minutes per eye. It was absolutely fine.
"It was so relaxing, so quick, no pain, no discomfort. I was really shocked.
"I said, when I come round, it’s like having a spa treatment! I’ve had no trouble with it whatsoever."
Stephen joked he could become a "fighter pilot" because of how "good" his eyesight is now following Laser Lens Replacement/Refractive Lens Exchange.
The star quipped: "It's a procedure that you go in, and you've got really bad eyesight, and half an hour later, you come out, and you've got 20/20 vision.
"I went back for my checkup after eight weeks. And I could basically be a fighter pilot. My eyesight is that good ...
"If you've been thinking about it for ages, go for it."
Stephen was treated by Mr. Sheraz Daya at the Centre for Sight, the UK’s leading, trusted centre of excellence for advanced eye care, innovation and life-changing results.
For more information, visit centreforsight.com.
