TLC star Dr. Sandra Lee, 55, best known as Dr. Pimple Popper, has confessed she suffered a devastating stroke in the middle of filming season two of her Lifestyle show. The acclaimed dermatologist, who found fame online in a series of viral clips about her work, said the incident happened last November while shooting Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out. Her horrific bout of ill health forced TV bosses to shut down production for two months while she recovered.

Speaking to People magazine, she recalled the terrifying moment on set. She told the outlet: "I had what I thought was a hot flash. I got super sweaty and didn't feel like myself," adding her symptoms didn't dissipate even after filming ended for the day. "I just felt very restless. In one leg, I kept feeling shooting pains. I would hold my hand out, and it would just slowly collapse. I noticed that I had a tough time articulating and just enunciating. I thought, 'Am I having a stroke?'"

A visit to the hospital and an MRI scan confirmed she had suffered an ischemic stroke, which left her with PTSD following the incident. She admitted: "As a physician, I couldn't deny that I had slurred speech, that I was having weakness on one side, but I was like, 'Well, this is a dream, right?' What essentially happened is I had a part of my brain that died."

The following months were filled with physical and occupational therapy, which improved her condition, but the medic is now encouraging others to be aware of lifestyle factors which can trigger a stroke.

She admitted her blood pressure and my cholesterol were not under control, and she suffered a lot of stress due to her job and trying to balance treating her patients alongside the show. Almost six months on, she now describes it as a blessing, telling the publication it reminded her to take better care of herself.

California-based Dr. Lee became famous after posting a series of pus-oozing videos on her YouTube channel. The viral stomach-churning content earned her a whopping one million followers on the video platform.

In a video to mark her million-follower milestone, she said: "If you had told me 10 years ago that I someday would be known as Dr PimplePopper, well, I would have laughed out loud and patted you on the back.

"Early on, I suspected there was something here that people were looking for. That there were people out there who really were interested in what I do as a dermatologist, that would be really fascinating to see all the kinds of things that can 'pop' out of a normal person's skin."