BBC Formula One presenter Jennie Gow, who regularly appears on Netflix’s hit series Drive To Survive, said she has had a “serious stroke”.
The broadcaster and journalist, 45, said her speech has been affected and thanked the medical teams at Frimley Park Hospital and St Georges’ Hospital in London for taking care of her.
Sharing a statement on Instagram and Twitter, Gow said: “Been quiet the last few weeks, this is because I suffered a serious stroke two weeks ago. My husband is helping me type this, as I’m finding it hard to write and my speech is most affected.
— Jennie Gow (@JennieGow) January 13, 2023
“I’m desperate to make a full recovery and return to work, but it might take some time. Thank you to the medical teams at Frimley and St George’s and my family and friends who’ve got me through the last fortnight.”
A host of sports commentators took to social media to wish Gow a speedy recovery, including former BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker, who said: “Jennie… take care of yourself. So sorry to hear this. I hope you’re doing ok.”
Gow, who broke into the world of F1 motor racing in 2010, presents F1 coverage for the BBC and is a commentator on racing series Extreme E.
She also appears as an F1 expert on Drive To Survive, which returns to Netflix on February 24. It will recap Max Verstappen’s road to title glory after winning his second world championship in 2022.
The series, in its fifth iteration, has been credited with increasing F1’s popularity and is one of the major sports documentary success stories in recent years.