Prue Leith, a former judge on "The Great British Baking Show," was recently hospitalized after a severe migraine attack caused her to lose her sight and speech. The 86-year-old culinary figure detailed the incident in her column for The Oldie magazine, as reported by The Sun.
Leith described the episode, which occurred while she was staying in Yorkshire. She first lost half of her vision, followed by the appearance of a bright circle of flickering, colored lights in her eyesight. Although she initially told her husband, John Playfair, that she believed it was a migraine, her inability to speak clearly, described as an "incomprehensible jumble of disconnected words," convinced him she might be suffering a stroke.
Playfair contacted their doctor, who, despite Leith's ability to respond to physical tests like raising her arms and making a fist, and reporting no pain or facial drooping, ordered an ambulance to transport her to a Yorkshire hospital. After a six-hour wait, Leith underwent a CT scan. She was released at 2 a.m. after waiting for the results, which confirmed she had experienced a severe migraine attack.
Leith expressed relief that medical professionals treated her under the assumption she was having a stroke, acknowledging that speech difficulties are a classic stroke symptom and that mini-strokes are common in older individuals. She noted that the team's "safe not sorry" approach was appreciated.
In April 2025, Leith had previously spoken about the challenges of aging during an appearance on "Loose Women," stating that age "stinks" and requires significant effort to manage physical mobility.