Prue Leith rushed to hospital after stroke scare left her 'unable to speak'
13 August 2026, 11:53
Great British Bake Off star, 86, was on holiday in Yorkshire when she had to go to hospital with a sudden health scare.
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Dame Prue Leith has revealed she was rushed to hospital after a severe migraine left her struggling to speak while she was on holiday in Yorkshire.
The 86-year-old television personality said the unusual symptom was so concerning that her husband, John Playfair, feared she could be having a stroke and contacted their doctor.
Writing in her “Prue’s News” column for the September edition of The Oldie, which is due to be published on Friday, Prue explained that she has experienced migraines since she was nine and is accustomed to recognising the warning signs.
Her attacks typically begin with a disturbance to her vision, followed by flickering coloured lights and, if she does not take her medication quickly, an intense headache.
But during the recent episode, she experienced a symptom she described as “rare”.
“I couldn’t string two words together,” Prue recalled, explaining that her speech had become an “incomprehensible jumble of disconnected words”.
Although she tried to reassure John that she was experiencing a migraine rather than a stroke, he was sufficiently concerned to call their doctor.
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The doctor asked Prue to carry out a series of simple checks, including raising her arms and making a fist.
She was also asked whether she was experiencing pain or whether one side of her face was drooping.
Despite being able to complete the checks without those symptoms, the doctor advised that an ambulance should take her to hospital.
Prue was taken to Harrogate hospital, where she was assessed by a paramedic and a nurse before waiting to see a doctor and undergo a CT scan.
She eventually left hospital after spending around 10 hours there.
Looking back on the experience, Prue said she had been confident that the episode was caused by a migraine, however, she acknowledged why those around her had taken no chances.
She noted that difficulty speaking can be a classic warning sign of a stroke, while strokes and mini-strokes become more common with age.
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“I knew all along that all I had was a migraine,” she wrote, but said the medical team had been right to make sure it was “safe not sorry”.
The former Great British Bake Off judge also used her account to praise the NHS staff who treated her, describing them as “cheerful, sympathetic, polite, helpful and professional”.
Prue said that although patients can face lengthy waits in A&E, she felt staff treated her with individual care once it was her turn.
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She added that the experience left her understanding why “the nation is devoted to the NHS”.
Prue has spoken previously about living with migraines and keeps medication in several places, including her handbag, washbag and her husband’s shoulder bag.
The chef and broadcaster has remained a prominent figure in British food and television throughout a career spanning six decades.
Alongside her time as a judge on Great British Bake Off, she has appeared on Great British Menu and has campaigned extensively for food education.
She was made a dame in 2021 in recognition of her services to food, broadcasting and charity.
