Carrie Bickmore has candidly revealed that her vocal cords are “in a very bad way” while addressing her absence from the airwaves over the past week.
The radio star, who co-hosts Hit Network’s Carrie and Tommy between 3pm and 6pm on weekdays, returned to her show on Monday, where she provided listeners with an update regarding her health.
“I am back! But this is like a ‘one night only’ special, I’m only back for today,” she shared.
Sounding audibly hoarse and filled with emotion, she revealed that, after a week away from the mic, an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist had given her a grim warning.
“My voice hasn’t been right for some time. I went to the ENT [doctor] this morning and it’s in a very bad way… as you can hear!
“Things are not good, so I’m going to have to take some time off work to get it fixed. If I don’t get it fixed now, they [vocal cords] will be permanently damaged, which will be very unfortunate for my job…”
The 45-year-old then broke down, admitting it was hard staying away from a job that she loves while also fearing the worst-case scenario: That permanent damage would mean she never returned to the airwaves.
“It’s making me upset. I’ll be fine, sorry…” she said, overcome with emotion, adding: “I just don’t like letting people down and I don’t like letting myself down.
“I also really love my job and don’t want to be forced not to [ever] do it again!”
She added: “I’m taking a little bit of time off to get it fixed. I’m hoping that if I get onto it now, it will be a non-permanent thing.”
In response to the raw admission, her co-host Tommy Little comforted her, saying: “We just want you healthy and back to 100%, Carrie.”
Bickmore has seemingly been in the wars of late, taking to social media last month to reveal a shocking gash to her head, which she sustained after a late-night accident at home.
The media personality posted a photo of the injury on Instagram, recounting the moment she walked into the corner of a wall over the Easter weekend.
“Walked into the corner of the wall over the break. Looked like a crime scene. Blood spurting from my head,” she said.
“Got it glued back together so I could go on holiday with my family the next day.”
However, Bickmore later revealed that the wound was more serious than she first thought, admitting she likely damaged a nerve.
“Turns out I have hit a nerve. Healing terribly. And hurting,” she wrote.
“Also randomly had a lady drop her carry-on suitcase on my head. God it hurt. Now gotta have it fixed properly by a plastic surgeon.”
Finding comfort in comedy, she added: “Scars are hot yeh? Face for radio (except tonight when I am back on tv for Celebrity Intervention on channel 7)!”