Dame Prue Leith has revealed she was recently rushed to hospital amid fears she was having a stroke. The former Great British Bake Off judge, 86, suffered a "migraine attack" last month while staying in Yorkshire, but was unable to speak, prompting her husband John Playfair to raise the alarm.
Migraine Attack Led to Hospital Dash
Writing in her Prue's News column for The Oldie, Prue described the episode: "A few weeks ago, staying in Yorkshire, I had a migraine attack. It followed a familiar path. First, I can see only half of whatever I’m looking at." She explained that a bright circle of flickering, coloured lights usually follows, and without taking her migraine medication, a crashing headache would ensue.
This time, however, her speech was affected. "My incomprehensible jumble of disconnected words convinced John I was having a stroke. I tried to tell him it was just a migraine, but I couldn’t string two words together," she wrote.
Six-Hour A&E Wait and CT Scan
Although Prue could raise her right arm and her face was not drooping—both common stroke checks—the operator John spoke to decided to send an ambulance. She was taken to Harrogate Hospital, where she faced a six-hour wait in A&E. After undergoing a CT scan at midnight, she was released at two o'clock in the morning.
Prue concluded her column by noting that while she "knew all along" it was a migraine, because loss of speech is a major stroke symptom, it was better "safe than sorry" in this case.
First Migraine at Age Nine
Prue, who appeared as a judge on Bake Off for almost a decade before announcing her departure earlier this year, also recalled suffering her first migraine at the age of nine. At the time, her speech went "bananas" and she suddenly said "I want fish!"
