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Prue Leith reveals she suffered 'horrific' hallucinations after taking LSD in the 1960s

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - AUGUST 10: British-South African restaurateur, chef, caterer, television presenter/broadcaster, businesswoman, journalist, cookery writer and novelist Prue Leith attends a photocall during the Edinburgh International Book Festival 2019 on August 10, 2019 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Simone Padovani/Awakening/Getty Images)
Prue Leith attends a photocall during the Edinburgh International Book Festival 2019 on August 10, 2019 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Simone Padovani/Awakening/Getty Images)

Prue Leith has revealed she tried LSD when she was younger, but suffered such “horrific” hallucinations she never did it again.

The Great British Bake Off judge told of dabbling with the hallucinogenic drug in the 1960s in a candid recent interview.

Speaking on LBC, she said: “It was the sixties, there were a lot of drugs around.“We [Prue and her first husband, author Rayne Kruger] used to smoke a bit of pot, not all the time and not a lot, but we did.

“And one day, we did take acid, only once, and I must tell you, it was the most appalling experience I’ve ever had.”

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Describing the experience, she went on: “I had absolute horrific hallucinations. I couldn’t look at [Ray] because he turned into a kind of monster, and my arms, the flesh dripped off them. There was just bones left.

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“It just shows what an extraordinary imagination I must have.”

Matt Lucas joined Prue Leith, Paul Hollywood and Noel Fielding for the new series of 'The Great British Bake Off'. (Mark Bourdillon/Channel 4)
Matt Lucas joined Prue Leith, Paul Hollywood and Noel Fielding for the new series of 'The Great British Bake Off'. (Mark Bourdillon/Channel 4)

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The star added the hallucinations stayed with her for decades after the incident occurred.

She added: “I’d have nightmares. And when I woke up, nothing would look like I knew it ought to look.

“It would be wobbly or strange or growing and sinking and shrinking and expanding. And right until, I suppose, my sixties, I would still sometimes wake up in the night and, I felt like I could see the air, you know?”

Leith, 80, is currently starring in the eleventh series Bake Off, which returned to screens last week.

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The first episode was kicked off with a Boris Johnson skit from new presenter Matt Lucas.

The former Little Britain star was cast to replace Sandi Toksvig who announced she was quitting earlier this year.

GBBO continues on Channel 4 on Tuesday, 30 September from 8pm.