Prue Leith, the beloved former judge of The Great British Bake Off, recently experienced a health scare that left her speechless. At 86 years old, she was rushed to the hospital after her speech became incoherent, prompting fears of a stroke. However, as she explains in her latest column, it was actually a severe migraine attack that caused her speech to become unintelligible.
Leith, who has a history of migraines, described the symptoms leading up to the incident. She wrote, 'I can see only half of whatever I’m looking at. This is speedily followed by a bright circle of flickering, coloured lights in the upper right field of vision.' She then experienced a rare symptom of her migraines: her speech became a 'jumble of disconnected words.'
Her husband, John Playfair, was the one who noticed the severity of the situation. He recalled, 'I tried to tell her it was just a migraine, but I couldn’t string two words together.' This led him to call their doctor, who ordered an ambulance to take Prue to Harrogate Hospital.
Despite her initial concerns, the doctors were thorough. She underwent a CT scan and a brain scan, which confirmed that it was indeed a migraine. The doctors were careful, given her age and the potential risk of a mini-stroke. As she put it, 'Everyone was determined to be safe not sorry.'
Prue was released from the hospital in the early morning, and she praised the NHS staff for their concern and patience. She took to Instagram to reassure her followers that she was fine and shared a photo of herself smiling and enjoying the sunshine.
This incident comes as a change of pace for Leith, who recently stepped down from her role on The Great British Bake Off after nine years. She plans to focus on writing and traveling more with her husband, John. As she told HELLO! magazine, 'I want to go back to the '-stans' we haven’t been to, like Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.'
Despite the scare, Prue Leith's resilience and positive outlook remain unchanged. Her experience highlights the importance of listening to our bodies and seeking medical attention when needed. As she says, 'I knew all along that all I had was a migraine.' This incident serves as a reminder that even the most unexpected symptoms can be manageable with the right care and support.
