BBC Wales presenter reveals routine check-up ‘saved’ her eyesight

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Writing for BBC News, the presenter explained that she’d taken the break after having emergency surgery to “save” the eyesight in one of her eyes after one of her retinas was on the brink of detaching. “In June, I noticed I’d started getting occasional white flashes in my right eye, particularly when I looked to the side,” Owen said. With my 52nd birthday around the corner, I rolled my eyes and assumed it must be another one of the joys of getting older.” But after losing her glasses, Owens – who has presented at BBC Wales for 16 years – went for a routine eye test at a high street opticians. Faced with the prospect of losing my sight in that eye, suddenly the vision that I’d always taken for granted seemed incredibly precious.” The presenter was booked in for emergency surgery, which took around 40 minutes, the next day.