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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Lisa McLoughlin

Sir Brian May hospitalised after suffering stroke which left him with 'no control' over his arm

Sir Brian May has said he had a "minor stroke" which caused him to lose control over his arm.

The Queen guitarist, 77, said he had the health scare about a week ago but he did not want to disclose it at the time, in a video on Instagram on Wednesday.

He said he was doing "OK" but was "grounded", as he has been advised not to drive, fly or do any activity which raises his heart rate too high.

In the video, he said: "I'm here to bring you first of all some good news, I think, good news is that I can play guitar after the events of the last few days.

"And I say this because it was in some doubt because that little health hiccup that I mentioned, happened about a week ago, and what they called it was a minor stroke and all of a sudden, out of the blue, I didn't have any control over this arm.”

The legendary guitarist on stage (PA Archive)

May said the experience was "a little scary" but praised the "fantastic care" he received from Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey.

“It was a little scary, I have to say. I had the most fantastic care and attention from the hospital where I went, blue lights flashing, the lot, it was very exciting,” he continued. “I might post a video if you like.

“I didn’t wanna say anything at the time because I didn’t want anything surrounding it, I really don’t want sympathy. Please don’t do that, because it’ll clutter up my inbox, and I hate that. The good news is I’m OK.”

The Break Free rocker appeared a bit frustrated as he shared that he's currently "grounded" and unable to drive, fly, or engage in any activities that might elevate his heart rate.

“No planes flying over, which will stress me,” he quipped, casting a glance at a passing aircraft. Despite the restrictions, May assured fans: “But I’m good.”

This isn’t the first health scare for May, who has previously faced issues, including a heart attack that revealed an underlying arterial disease.

Sir Brian May hospitalised after suffering stroke which left him with 'no control' over his arm (Sir Brian May/Instagram)

The legendary guitarist previously revealed that he was "very near death" after being hospitalised in May 2020. During his stay, doctors discovered three blocked arteries that were dangerously close to cutting off blood flow to his heart.

“It’s been a tough recovery,” he told The Times. “I’ve faced complications from the medications, including a near-fatal stomach rupture.”

May expressed confusion over his heart attack, admitting, “I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, my cholesterol levels are fine, and I was staying active during the tour. So, why did it happen?” he wondered. “But at least now, my heart is working much better than before.”

Although his doctors recommended heart surgery, May opted for a less invasive procedure, having three stents placed in his heart instead.

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