Dave Hughes suffers health scare while performing at Grand Final lunch

Dave Hughes says he thought he was “about to die” on stage while performing at a Grand Final function, as high-profile members of the audience rushed to the comedian’s aid.

Comedian and broadcaster Dave Hughes thought he was “having a stroke” and was “about to die” after suffering vertigo during a stand-up set at the Carlton Football Club’s Grand Final lunch.

Hughes says he was one minute into his 10 minute routine when “the room just started spinning as I started to talk.”

He added: “I’m trying to ignore it and get through my routine, then suddenly I’m seeing 1500 people spinning around in front of me, while I’m trying to keep it together. Everything was spinning, like when you’re on a wizzy-dizz.

“I swear to God, I was on stage thinking: ‘Am I having a stroke? I’m up there, thinking: ‘Am I about to die on stage?’”

Hughes said he asked for a chair, and continued his comedy set sitting down.

“People noticed right away. Melbourne comedian Matt Hardy was in the front row and he knew I was off. He wanted to jump on stage and stop me, but he didn’t know what to do.

“When (the vertigo) really started going, I was probably a minute into the gig. It was ridiculous. I had no idea what was going on with me.

“I was trying to talk it out, and get through it, and not let anyone know. but it got worse and worse and worse. Eventually, I said: ‘Guys, this room is spinning, and they were like: ‘What’s he on about?’”

A passionate Carlton fan, Hughesy was helped by Blues legend Chris Judd. Picture: Alex Coppel.

Hughes managed to do his 10 minutes, then recovered backstage, before briefly reappearing in the main room to let everyone know he was all right.

“I had the cameras on me, 1500 people in the room, and I’m up there on the big screen. I’m thinking: ‘What am I looking like?’ My leg was shaking, I almost fell over. I thought I’d have to crawl off stage with the camera following me.

“It was ridiculous I didn’t get off stage earlier. I should have walked off because I was making very little sense. But I could tell everyone in the room was very concerned for me.

“Nick Riewoldt said my determination to continue reminded him of Dermie in 89.”

Blues legend Chris Judd was one of the first to get backstage to check on Hughes’ wellbeing.

“He said, ‘Is it bad if I wished you’d collapsed?’” Hughes said. “I said, ‘No, I would have wished that too. Everyone loves drama.’”

Hughes was later driven to a doctor who said the incident was “classic symptoms of true vertigo.”

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Hughes added: “I did an MRI, and there’s no issue with my brain. It’s an inner-thing … and it makes your brain think things are moving around when they’re not.”

Asked if he recalls the joke that sparked his vertigo, Hughes laughed: “I was celebrating Collingwood getting beaten (in this year’s semi finals) and I reckon that’s the moment it went bad.

“Maybe the spirit of the Collingwood faithful got into my brain.”

Hughes is on a break from his FOX FM radio show, but will attempt to boot a record on Fox Footy’s Longest Kick event in Melbourne on Saturday.