'Taylor Swift is the first new music I've listened to since 1983' - Deaf comedian hopes to be a Swiftie thanks to innovative hearing aids

A deaf comedian who has not been able to enjoy new music since 1983 now hopes to become a fan of Taylor Swift thanks to innovative Bluetooth hearing aids.

Steve Day, 60, hailing from Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham, began to lose his hearing at the young age of 18 while he was studying at university, believing that promoting music bands and going to loud gigs "every night" might have been factors contributing to his hearing loss.

By the time he turned 24, he was told by doctors that he had severe and profound hearing loss in both ears, necessitating the use of hearing aids – as a result, he abandoned all music for nearly four decades after he discovered that he could only recall tracks based on memory, leading to depression and "dark thoughts" due to his condition.

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In these years, the married father-of-five switched from IT to stand-up comedy and although he occasionally feels "vulnerable" on stage, his deafness sometimes turns into an unexpected asset – highlighted by an incident where a malfunctioning microphone inadvertently improved his performance, much to the audience's delight.

But all that changed when in 2021, Steve encountered hearing aids capable of Bluetooth connectivity, reigniting his passion for music that reconnects him with classics like The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, and Pink Floyd – and, more fans, igniting a newfound interest in Taylor Swift.

Steve, a stand-up comedian for 26 years, has been overwhelmed by the response from the Swiftie community since joining TikTok this summer. He now starts his day by listening to the 10-minute version of All Too Well (Taylor’s Version).

"Taylor Swift is the first new music I’ve listened to since 1983," he told PA Real Life. "I listened to a bit of music but it would mostly be from memory, so I didn’t have the confidence to listen to anything new." Steve has started with Swift's Red album, which he enjoys while doing yoga every morning.

He first noticed his hearing loss at the age of 18 while studying engineering at the University of Liverpool. "I lived a bit of a tumultuous life, I helped promote bands and I was involved in music so it was loud every night," Steve recalled.

Despite the warning signs, he didn't seek help for years until an incident, possibly an infection, left him almost completely deaf. At 24, doctors diagnosed Steve with severe and profound hearing loss in both ears, requiring hearing aids. This led to a struggle with depression and feelings of isolation due to his impairment.

Steve, who struggled with profound depression and thoughts of suicide, recounted his darkest times, "I was really, really depressed and I was having dark and suicidal thoughts," he admitted. "It’s completely unthinkable now but at the time, I was thinking ‘what’s the point? ’" Isolation became Steve's coping mechanism: "I just became more and more isolated and my way of dealing with it was to withdraw, I spent a lot of time on my own and in my own head."

During this period, he couldn't even enjoy music, a passion of his, due to frustration over his hearing loss. "I rejected the whole of it – I had a massive vinyl collection I’d been building since I was 12 and I just got rid of it," he stated.

Shifting from IT to comedy after spotting a night school advert led Steve onto a stage in Holborn in 1998 and into a newfound place of belonging at the age of 35. Despite initial audience reservations, Steve was convinced of his calling: "It took audiences a lot longer to come around to agree with me, but I knew this is what I was meant to do," he said.

"Stand-up is the thing I was least worst at."

The challenges of being a deaf comedian are balanced by unique advantages in Steve’s view. "It makes it harder and you are vulnerable but there are so many advantages – first of all you’re different to everybody else on the bill," he shared.

His act isn't solely focused on his disability, although it inevitably seeps into his routine: "I don’t just want to be a deaf comedian but it will always come in because it’s in everything I do." He said he was “dying” and the audience were “switching off” – when his microphone stopped working during the set.

“I was the only person who didn’t know it had stopped working until a technician ran over switched the microphone over,” he said. “I pointed at the crowd and said, ‘how long were going going to let me go on?’ and people really started laughing… they loved me by the end of it.”

While Steve has adapted to his hearing impairment within his career, he has still struggled to listen to new music – but hearing aids which enable Bluetooth have changed the game, allowing him to venture into Swift’s discography following positive recommendations from friends.

“With these hearing aids, I can actually listen to music in a way I haven’t before,” he said. “Even though I’m deafer than I’ve ever been, my hearing of music is better than it’s been since I was 18.

“I’m still feeling my way with Taylor Swift because there’s a lot to absorb and even though my hearing is better, it still takes some work to acquire a song – but it’s been worth it. Ready For It? and Shake It Off – all of those I love.”

Steve joined TikTok this summer, where he shares clips from his stand-up gigs and over the last few months he has reached out to the Swiftie community to see if he can become a certified member. “I did a video to say, ‘help me, how do I become a Swiftie?’ – it went from 200 views to 60,000,” Steve said.

The clip also has more than 1,000 comments from Swift’s fans giving Steve tips on where to start, such as watching the Eras Tour movie or listening to her albums chronologically. They have also sent him gifts, including a mug and friendship bracelets, to get him in the spirit.

“The response from Swifties is so fantastic and the people have been really, really nice,” he said. “I haven’t even scratched the surface with Taylor Swift’s music, which is great, but it’s something I know will be an ongoing pleasure.”