HEALTH'Great British Bake Off' Judge Prue Leith Rushed to Hospital After Losing 'Half' Her Vision and Ability to Speak
Prue Leith's speech became an 'incomprehensible jumble of disconnected words' during the health scare.
Aug. 12 2026, Published 3:08 p.m. ET
Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith opened up about a terrifying medical emergency that had her rushed to the hospital after losing "half" her vision and ability to speak.
"A few weeks ago, staying in Yorkshire, I had a migraine attack," the 86-year-old detailed in her column for Oldie magazine's September Issue, obtained by The Sun on Wednesday, August 12.
Prue Leith's Speech Turned into 'Jumble of Disconnected Words'
Prue Leith believed she was experiencing a migraine when she lost 'half'' of her vision.
"It followed a familiar path. First, I can see only half of whatever I’m looking at," she recalled. "This is speedily followed by a bright circle of flickering, colored lights in the upper right field of vision."
The food judge's husband, John Playfair, quickly sprang into action, calling 999 (U.K.'s emergency phone number)after the star's speech became an "incomprehensible jumble of disconnected words."
"I tried to tell him it was just a migraine, but I couldn’t string two words together," she explained. "He rang our doctor, who asked me, could I raise my arms? Yes. Make a fist? Yes. Did anything hurt? No. Was the side of my face drooping? No."
Doctors Requested Multiple Brain Scans
Prue Leith was rushed to the hospital on her doctor's orders.
Despite her answers, her doctor recommended emergency medical attention to better evaluate her symptoms.
"In spite of my assuring him (I’d recovered coherent speech by then) that it was a migraine, he decided on a CT scan. Two hours later, I had one, waited another hour for the results, and was released at 2 a.m.," she explained.
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Doctors Took a 'Better Safe Than Sorry' Approach
Prue Leith explained that doctors did multiple tests to ensure she wasn't having a stroke.
She was also advised to undergo a brain scan before being discharged, as doctors wanted to rule out a mini-stroke, which can occur in people her age.
"I knew all along that all I had was a migraine," she wrote. "But since the speech problem is a classic symptom of a stroke, and my extreme old age being a time when mini-strokes are common, everyone was determined to be safe not sorry."
Prue Leith Praised the Nurses Who Treated Her
Prue Leith said a nurse went 'foraging for a sandwich' after she mentioned she was hungry.
Leith is a chef and restaurateur, best known for being a judge on The Great British Bake Off.
The cooking star used her platform to praise the country's emergency services personnel, saying she was treated as if she were the only patient in the emergency room.
"The NHS personnel are all cheerful, sympathetic, polite, helpful and professional," she concluded. "The nurse who took my blood had been on duty for 10 hours — her replacement had rung in sick — but she was bright as a daisy. Said she loved her job."
