Dame Prue Leith has reassured supporters that she is “alive and kicking” after being rushed to hospital over fears she had suffered a stroke.
The former Great British Bake Off judge, 86, was away in Yorkshire when a severe migraine left her struggling to speak clearly.
Her husband, John Playfair, raised concerns about her condition with their doctor, who subsequently called an ambulance for emergency assistance.
Updating fans on her recovery, Dame Prue shared a photograph on Friday showing her smiling while enjoying a dessert, confirming that she is currently in good health.
She wrote: “For those that have messaged me, I wrote a piece of @theoldiemagazine about my trip to hospital a couple of months ago.
“I was fine shortly after and am very much alive and kicking now!”
Writing in her regular column for The Oldie magazine, Dame Prue detailed the onset of her illness: “A few weeks ago, staying in Yorkshire, I had a migraine attack. It followed a familiar path. First, 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. If I don’t swiftly swallow one of my migraine ‘bombs’ (three pills: paracetamol, ibuprofen and sumatriptan), a crashing headache will follow.”
Following her admission to hospital, Dame Prue faced a wait of several hours before seeing a clinician. She subsequently underwent a CT scan and was discharged after a total of 10 hours.
Paying tribute to the NHS staff who looked after her, she wrote: “You may have to wait for ever. But when it is your turn, you are treated as if you were the only patient in A&E, with concern and patience.”
Regarding the cautious response from medical personnel, she added: “I knew all along that all I had was a migraine. 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.”
Dame Prue joined The Great British Bake Off in 2017, stepping into the role previously held by original judge Mary Berry.
In January, she announced her departure from the show, with Nigella Lawson confirmed as her replacement shortly afterwards.
She was awarded a damehood in 2021 in recognition of her services to food, broadcasting and charity.
