Woman wakes with entirely new Geordie accent despite never visiting Newcastle

A woman, who woke up from a nap with an entirely new accent, appeared on ITV’s This Morning today (15 January) and revealed that it’s changed her whole personality.

Verity Went, 26, spoke with Dermot O’Leary and Josie Gibson about her struggles as a result of being left with a different voice – from a place she has never visited before.

The Staffordshire-based barber, who woke up talking like a Geordie after sleeping off a migraine, said it’s changed who she is as a person.

“I’m more confident now and I think, in myself more, I used to be a people pleaser,” she told Dermot and Josie.

“Whereas now, I do everything for myself – very black and white – it’s improved [things] for myself.”

Josie asked Verity: “Do you prefer this version of yourself?” to which she replied: “Yeah, definitely – I don’t want it to change.”

Verity, who immediately visited her doctor, also said that they were just as surprised as she was – with her usual practitioner left speechless.

Now, she’s unable to physically do her original West Midlands accent and claims that whenever she tries to think of it, there’s a “block” in her brain.

Verity, who described the ordeal as “terrifying”, was also joined by Professor of Neurology, Mark Edwards, who explained that the condition is quite common.

ITV/Jam Press

He advised it’s due to the function of the brain, rather than degeneration – and it could possibly change.

Verity, whose friends thought she was “having them on”, added: “I think as well, with my accent changing, it grabs people’s attention.

“It’s really important to know the symptoms of FND too.

“It’s changed my life for the worse, as I couldn’t drive, had to give up my job and I couldn’t have a bath in case I drowned.”

Users were left shocked and flocked to X (formerly Twitter) to share their opinions.

Robert said: “Can I wake up with a Geordie accent? Having a West Midlands accent is depressing.”

“I’d hate to wake up with a Liverpudlian accent sorry people from Liverpool I just can’t understand a word you say,” Victoria added. [sic]

Someone else said: “I mean I'm a Brummie and I wish I'd wake up with a Geordie accent too.... It's just not going to happen. What absolute bollocks! She has been training to go onto Geordie Shore aint she.” [sic]

“I do love a Geordie accent though,” another user added.

Verity grew up with a Midlands accent, which she had up until the incident late last year.

She was already struggling with symptoms caused by functional neurologic disorder (FND), which she was diagnosed with in 2022.

FND is the name given for ‘medically unexplained’ symptoms in the body which appear to be caused by problems in the nervous system, but which are not caused by a physical neurological disease or disorder.

While off work battling seizures and migraines in October 2023, Verity had a nap to get through a particularly bad headache – but woke up with an entirely new voice.

Jam Press/@veritywent7

“After a couple of hours I woke up and my speech was slurred, which I’m occasionally used to, but after five minutes it came back – and was Geordie,” Verity told NeedToKnow.co.uk.

“I was terrified.

“I went to the doctors straight away and since they already knew about my FND, they kind of knew it was something to do with that rather than a stroke.

“The doctor was so shocked and when I asked what do to, she said she’d heard about it before but never seen it, and to go to the hospital.

“Even though I like it now and I’m used to it, at first I was so upset as I just felt I had completely lost myself and didn’t know who I was anymore.”

While she has not been formally diagnosed, Verity said that every doctor she has spoken to believes it to be a case of foreign accent syndrome – a condition where the way you talk shifts and changes in a way that's sudden and very noticeable.

She shared her experience on TikTok, where her post went viral with 200,000 views.

She also shared a second clip, showing her old accent and the difference between how she grew up speaking, and how she now speaks after the freak incident.

Verity said: “90% per centof people’s reactions have been amazing, so supportive and actually say they’ve seen things about it before or heard about it.

“However, the other 10 per cent are quite rude and don’t believe me at all.

“Which is fine, just strange that they’re so rude about it.

“I could understand them being like ‘I can’t believe it, I don’t believe it’, but some people are genuinely so nasty it’s a shame.”

Verity now plans to use her experience to start a podcast, interviewing other people with health conditions and sharing her story further to help raise awareness.

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