Denise Drysdale hospitalised with rare nerve disorder, Studio 10 reports

Australian TV legend Denise Drysdale has been hospitalised with a rare nerve disorder.

The 72-year-old double Gold Logie winner, who appears as a regular panellist on Studio 10, fell ill last week after suffering “unspeakable agony” in her face.

Announcing the Queensland-based entertainer’s disappearance on the Channel 10 morning program, entertainment reporter Craig Bennett told viewers that Drysdale had been in hospital for the last few days.

“You might’ve noticed you haven’t seen somebody on this couch or on this show for a little while,” Bennett began. “We’re talking Denise Drysdale.

“Why you’ve not seen her on the show for a little bit is because of this reason. Last week she was taken to hospital after suffering unspeakable agony that she described to me as a cross between being struck by a lightning bolt and a white hot poker.”

Bennett added: “It turns out she’s suffering from a rare nerve disorder that affects the face. Trigeminal neuralgia, it’s called.”

Bennett said he’d been speaking to Drysdale multiple times a day and that she was slowly on the mend.

“I know we all share in wishing our Denise Drysdale the speediest of recoveries. We need our regular dose of Ding Dong [Drysdale’s nickname].”

According to the Mayo Clinic, trigeminal neuralgia is a chronic pain condition affecting the trigeminal nerve in the face, which carries sensation from the face to the brain. It’s most common in women aged over 50.

Treatment includes medication, injections and surgery.

It comes after Drysdale was badly injured while filming the Channel 7 show Holey Moley last year.

During filming in October, Drysdale tripped during a challenge and fell over, fracturing her shoulder. The episode went to air in February this year.

Drysdale sent a statement to news.com.au at the time, which said: “Mummy has took a tumble and has broken one of her chicken wings. The hospital are taking good care of me.”

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Speaking on Studio 10 this morning, Bennett said Drysdale had told him over the phone she “can’t take a trick”.

“She said, ‘Literally it’s one thing after the next. A tsunami of medical mishaps.’ I said, ‘Darling forget about a car, I’d just buy an ambulance,’” Bennett joked.

“You know what, she just keeps getting up and going,” co-host Sarah Harris added. “She’s got such a big heart and irrepressible energy.”

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