It's called misophonia

Seann Walsh has revealed he has an irrational fear of hearing people eat– including himself

The comic says he suffers from a psychological disorder called misophonia - where slightly irritating sounds evoke strong emotions.

He says that he has asked restaurants to turn background music on to drown out the sound of people eating - and has o leave public transport if he hears another passenger eating even just an apple or packet of crisps.

Walsh made the revelation on the My Favourite Takeaway podcast - when he had to move away from the microphone after taking a mouthful of food, admitting he became 'very self-conscious of me chewing’.

‘If we’re eating somewhere where the music is not on, I have to say, "Excuse me, sorry, could you put some music on please?", which is a very strange request,’ he said.

The 37-year-old told hosts Tom Craine, the comic, and Cimran Shah, a Channel 4 commissioner, that his condition may stem from the slurping noises his dad made when eating.

He said: ‘You see my dad didn’t have his own teeth. So it kind of scarred me and my brother. He has the same thing as me. We cannot hear people chewing. You get someone on the train with an apple, I’m off.’

A recent study found that up to 18 per cent of British people suffer from the condition to some degree , even though most not being aware of it.

Published: 30 Jul 2023