TELLY veteran Chris Tarrant has suffered a mini stroke on an 11-hour flight
and spent more than a week in hospital.
The Who Wants To Be A Millionaire host, 67, was rushed from Heathrow Airport
to Charing Cross Hospital in West London after falling ill on a plane.
Docs first thought Tarrant had a bad asthma attack — then found a potentially
fatal blood clot in his leg.
They performed emergency treatment to destroy it before it could dislodge and
cause a major stroke. Tarrant also developed bronchitis, complicating
treatment.
Last night his agent and manager, Paul Vaughan, told The Sun: “The doctor
describes it as a mini stroke, probably brought on by the asthma and
bronchitis on the plane. They found a clot which they managed to break up.
“It was a clot in the leg and that can immediately go to the brain or lungs.”
It is understood Tarrant is under the care of the same consultant who looked
after BBC newsman Andrew Marr, who had a major stroke in January last year.
Mr Vaughan said Tarrant — who had returned from filming a fishing show in
Burma a week last Saturday — has started to make trips to his London flat
but has to return at night.
He added: “He is determined to leave hospital. But he’s not going back to
work. This is a nasty wake-up call.”
A recent study found that one in 50 reported in-flight medical emergencies
were possible strokes.