BBC F1 presenter Jennie Gow, 46, reveals she has ‘acquired dyslexia’ eight months on from terrifying stroke
BBC Formula One presenter Jennie Gow has developed dyslexia eight months on from a terrifying stroke.
The 46-year-old suffered the stroke brought on by a cough from an infection in December last year.
She is now ready to get back to work for the first time, returning to the paddock and Radio 5 Live today at the Dutch Grand Prix.
In an interview with The Times, the broadcaster has opened up on the effects of the life-changing incident.
Gow has developed dyslexia and struggled with communication.
Speech has been tough and she initially spoke using a whiteboard after regaining movement in her left side.
The host was expecting her communication recovery to take months, yet after advice not to shout or get angry from nurses she soon began speaking normally again.
Her speech was “most affected” by the stroke but fears her career could be over will be put to bed today in Zandvoort.
Gow will be joined by her husband Jamie, who is assisting her with work this week as Max Verstappen starts on pole.
Opening up on her return to the radio, she admitted: “I don’t know if it’s hard for Jamie to see me back at work, but I think he knows I need to at least try and do it. See what I can do.
“F1 is a very friendly place and one that I have lived in for the last 12 years. It’s a supportive place, even though everyone is competitive and finding their own way.
“There are still moments that my voice doesn’t seem right to me, and obviously I have some gaps in my speech that I didn’t have before. I’m constantly struggling in my head to find the next word.
“But we’ve spent eight months working on this, for hours every day.”
The stroke has also caused a change in taste, Gow was previously a fan of Marmite and white wine but now hates both.
Additionally, she suffered nerve damage in her right hand and is now unperceptive to heat and at risk of burn and her face has a slight droop.
Jamie recalled when he saw that his wife had collapsed and described it as “the worst moment of my life”.
Their six-year-old daughter Isabelle rushed to the phone to help her father call the ambulance.
Jamie called Gow’s name but there was no response.
But just eight months on from the horror incident she is back as a shadow presenter to Rosanna Tennant.
Gow has worked on BBC Radio 5 Live covering F1 since 2012.