Former “The Great British Bake Off” judge Prue Leith is reassuring fans after opening up about a frightening health scare that sent her to the hospital. Leith, 86, shared a health update on her Instagram Stories after receiving messages from worried fans.
The food TV personality recently revealed that she was rushed to the hospital after experiencing problems with her vision and speech. This prompted concerns that she could be having a stroke. Thankfully, Leith said she recovered quickly and is doing well months after the incident.
Prue Leith Is ‘Alive & Kicking’
Leith went to her Instagram Stories. She shared a photo of herself smiling and enjoying something to eat.
She wrote on the photo, “For those that have messaged me, I wrote a piece of @theoldiemagazine about my trip to the hospital a couple of months ago.”
She went on to say, “I was fine shortly after and am very much alive and kicking now!”
This is reassuring news from the adored food TV personality. In the September issue of “The Oldie,” Leith detailed the scary experience.
Her symptoms turned out to be related to a migraine. However, the symptoms were serious enough at that time that doctors wanted to make sure she wasn’t having a stroke.
She Was Struggling to Speak
At the time of the incident, Leith was staying in Yorkshire. She started experiencing symptoms she recognized from previous migraines.
She noticed that her vision started to change. Things got more serious when she started having trouble speaking.
She said what was coming out of her mouth was an “incomprehensible jumble of disconnected words.” Her husband, John Playfair, got worried, so he contacted their doctor.
Despite the speaking and vision issues, Leith was still able to raise her arms and make a fist. She also wasn’t experiencing facial drooping ot pain. While these were encouraging signs, her doctor advised them to call an ambulance because of her difficulty speaking.”
She recalled, “I tried to tell him it was just a migraine, but I couldn’t string two words together.”
Doctors Checked For a Stroke
After calling for an ambulance, Leith was taken to Harrogate Hospital. While there, doctors repeatedly checked her for symptoms of a stroke.
Over time, her speech returned to normal. She was then able to tell the medical team that she believed a migraine was behind the episode. However, doctors didn’t want to take any chances, so they ordered a CT scan.
After spending about 10 hours in the emergency room, Leith was finally released around 2 a.m.
This, apparently, is not something new for Leith. She has been dealing with migraines since she was a child. She had her first attack when she was just 9 years old. Leith said speech issues have also accompanied her migraines in the past.
A Year of Change for Leith
This recent health scare comes during a year of change for Leith.
For almost 10 years, Leith served as a judge on “The Great British Bake Off.” However, she announced in January 2026 that she would be stepping away from the popular baking competition.
Leith joined the show in 2017. At the time, she replaced original judge Mary Berry and appeared alongside Paul Hollywood.
With Leith’s latest update, it’s clear that she’s feeling much better after the scary ordeal. She wanted to send one clear message: she’s “alive and kicking.”
