Breakfast TV legend rushed to hospital as she reveals ‘paramedics went white’ during frightening health scare
BREAKFAST telly legend Anne Diamond has revealed she was rushed to hospital amid a terrifying health scare.
The broadcasting icon, 69, gave viewers an update on her condition on her GB News Breakfast show this morning after she recently took time off from the programme.
Anne, who has recently undergone treatment for breast cancer, told fans that she was absent from screens after her blood pressure shot up to dangerously high levels.
Speaking on the show, Anne said: “Some of you have been asking why I’ve been off. The reason I’ve been off was a lot to do with stonkingly high blood pressure.
‘It’s a real problem’
“And while that wasn’t the whole problem, and I am still yet to get a proper diagnosis as to what was going on, it was an enormous part of the problem.
She continued: “I didn’t realise that I had such incredibly high blood pressure. When the paramedics saw it they sort of went white and said, ‘Well, you’re off to hospital.’ And that was that.”
Anne then urged viewers to make sure they take their own blood pressure, adding: “It doesn’t matter how young you think you are, you ought to take your blood pressure. It’s an easy thing to do and all the rest of it, but it’s clearly an enormous thing too.
“High blood pressure is a real problem, and probably low blood pressure is as well. But your blood pressure is massively important. And the younger you are keeping an eye on it, the less likely you are to have any big problems later in life.”
Anne also reassured viewers that she is on the mend and her blood pressure has now come down within a safer range.
Breast cancer battle
The TV stalwart revealed she had been diagnosed with breast cancer last year.
Speaking about her battle in a 2023 interview, she said: “It’s been a long journey. And five months later, I’m still not at the end of the journey, but I’m through it enough to come back to work.”
Recalling the day she learned she had cancer, Anne continued: “It was a wonderful moment and that was like 9.30 in the morning. But I knew then, because I’d already seen my GP, that I had to go to a breast cancer screening thing later in the morning.
“I thought I would just go for a mammogram, and a couple of tests and I’d be free in an hour.
“I spent the entire morning at my local hospital where they did everything, biopsies, X-rays, CT scans, a couple of mammograms, everything, and by lunchtime I was still there.
“And a lovely lady came with a lanyard around her neck that said MacMillan Cancer Care and I knew then it was serious.”
“I don’t have any advice for people because I’m still going through it. But I’m well enough to return to work.
How to lower blood pressure
Persistent high blood pressure (hypertension) puts extra strain on your blood vessels, heart and other organs and it can raise your risk of serious conditions like heart disease, heart attacks and stroke. Here's how to reduce it.
Reduce salt
Adults are recommended to limit their salt to 6g per day (around one level teaspoon) to avoid health consequences including high blood pressure.
The top tip is to swap out table salt, according to the Salt Substitute and Stroke Study, replacing it with a reduced sodium and added potassium alternative.
Cut down on alcohol
Excessive boozing can narrow the blood vessels, which raises the risk of hypertension.
Official drinking guidelines advise that people should not regularly drink more than 14 units a week to keep health risks from alcohol low.
Get moving
Exercise is good for the heart and the blood vessels.
Although the guidelines recommend 150 minutes of activity per week, if you’re currently very inactive, just a walk to the shop every day is better than nothing, and you can work up from there.
Studies suggest that isometric exercises – when you hold the body in one position without moving, such as a wall squat or plank – are best for lowering blood pressure.
Stop smoking
Smoking cigarettes is a killer. It makes the arteries sticky and narrow, which can cause blockages.
While smoking is not a direct cause of high blood pressure, it can cause an instant rise to pressure, heart rate and reduce the amount of oxygen that gets to the body’s cells.
Skip coffee
Sadly, caffeine can cause a short, but dramatic increase in your blood pressure – even if you don’t have high blood pressure.
Therefore cutting back on coffee is recommended as a lifestyle tip for those with hypertension.
Lose weight
The above tips can help you to lose weight, which is beneficial because being overweight in itself is a risk factor for hypertension.
Being overweight forces your heart to work harder to pump blood around your body, which can raise your blood pressure.
The only way of knowing whether you have high blood pressure is to have a blood pressure test. All adults over 40 years old are advised to have their blood pressure checked at least every five years.
“I had the full works, the full mastectomy. God, this is the first time I’ve talked about it, so it’s quite difficult but I’ve had the full works.”
Anne underwent a double mastectomy to remove both breasts.
The veteran presenter shot to fame on breakfast TV in the 80s alongside TV-AM with Nick Owen.
They then continued their successful partnership on the BBC in the early nineties with Good Morning with Anne and Nick- a rival at the time to ITV‘s This Morning.
Anne also dipped her toe into reality TV in 2002, taking part in the second series of Celebrity Big Brother.