The appointments were so thorough

Following other panelists who have had the same treatment. Kelle Bryan is the next Loose Woman to have vision correction treatment with Optegra eye hospital group.

Liverpool-based Kelle, aged 51, was inspired and encouraged by Ruth Langsford, Denise Welsh and Linda Robson, who all have had refractive lens exchange (RLE) with Optegra over the past decade. They held a shared demand for excellent vision due to requirements on set – from reading notes or autocue, responding quickly to directions from producers – all of which mean that sharp vision is an absolute must.

And as Kelle experienced presbyopia – the age-related need for reading glasses – over the past ten years, the hassle finally became too much.

She explains: “I was constantly trying to find ways to hide my poor vision, so I could cope with scripts when acting, and seeing my notes on the Loose Woman panel. I would try to hide small pairs of specs in my clothes or costumes, and sneak a peek when I could; and when I was last in panto I would print my script in size 18 font. But then my page numbers did not match everyone else’s so if a director said to go from page four, I was in a panic to find what everyone else’s page four was!”

After a challenging health path, having been treated for Lupus over 26 years – including rounds of chemotherapy – it is now in remission and so Kelle felt the time was right to now focus on improving her vision and enjoy clarity of sight every day.

Kelle originally trained as a performer and was a founder member of Eternal, one of the most successful girl groups of the 90s, selling over 10 million records worldwide.  She went on to a solo career as well as building her TV and acting career including Hollyoaks and Eastenders.

As Kelle’s career continues with Loose Women and other projects soon to be announced, her passion is still there but her eyesight was letting her down. “My sight was debilitating, and I just could not do my work properly. I felt vulnerable because I would be in situations where if I forgot my glasses I simply could not read. And all those day-to-day situations, from checking a train ticket, to reading my script, I always felt on the back foot.

“My poor close-up sight was causing me such anxiety. There is always pressure as to re-shoot scenes costs thousands of pounds, making everyone start again – I did not want to cause that by making a mistake due to my sight! And while I was happy to wear frames, if my character did not wear glasses I was stuck. I hated drawing attention to myself in that way.”

With new projects on the horizon, Kelle made the decision to see if her eyes were suitable for treatment.  After consultations with her team and ophthalmic surgeon Mr. Shafiq Rehman, she was given the go ahead for Lens Replacement – and as her distance vision was so good, she could proceed with just one eye being treated to provide the support she needed for close-up and mid-distance vision.

Optegra’s Mr. Rehman said: “Lens replacement surgery is a permanent solution for those wanting to be free of glasses, as the multifocal lenses can provide excellent and sharp vision at varying distances.  They are tailor-made for the individual, and so we could listen to Kelle’s concerns about her vision, marry that with the thorough diagnostic tests we conduct and create a lens which will give all the visual support needed.  We are delighted to have helped her and for her now to have 20:20 vision.

Kelle explains her treatment journey: “The appointments were so thorough, especially due to my medical history, and I was very impressed to have two meetings with the surgeon beforehand. There was no pressure whatsoever and he put me at ease – so I knew I was looking into it now, exploring what was possible, and even if I did not proceed at this time, I could do in the future.  It was slow-paced and no pressure. But I got so excited at the prospect, I was keen to go ahead.

“The process was so quick, in fact I think the local anesthetic took longer than the actual procedure! It is a weird sensation, but no pain at all, just a bit of pressure. My surgeon talked me through every step so it was very calm, and everyone in the room was lovely, caring, kind and considerate.  Honestly, it was incredible!

“In no time at all I was reading phone messages, and this week I was back on set and so joyful that I could see my script – it is amazing, I can actually read it! It has given me so much more confidence in the room, it is the best feeling!

“Both Ruth and Denise said to me it was life-changing for them. And really it is! Everything is different, and better.  It’s like it has opened up a whole new world of opportunity for me.”

Outside of work, Kelle enjoys keeping fit at the gym and salsa, as well as theatre, cinema and movie nights in with her kids. She and her husband have two children (aged 14 and 12 years) and they enjoy adventures together, exploring new places and trying new things like canoeing.

Kelle joked: “My poor sight was a running joke in my family – even was the punchline of a recent Mother’s Day card, but guess what, for the first time I could read it without specs!”

When asked about her career highlights, she said:

“To sing for Pope John Paul II at the Vatican, was a massive highlight for me.  And also to perform with Whitney Houston for the Sultan of Brunei and his daughter Princess Rashidah.  That was quite something! And as those two amazing, inspirational people have since passed, these are incredibly special memories for me.

“I was also part of the first concert allowed in South Africa, post-apartheid – a sea of posters in front of us saying ‘free at last’ was so moving.  It was such a privilege to be there and see that.  Now with my new vision, I am excited to create new memories in the years to come.”