Photo Credit; Getty Images
The Great British Bake Off is preparing a new recipe.
Prue Leith, who has served as a judge alongside Paul Hollywood since the show's move to Channel 4 from the BBC in 2017, has announced her departure from the series after nine seasons and 400 challenges.
"Bake Off has been a fabulous part of my life," she wrote in her Jan. 21 Instagram post, noting that she will miss working with Paul, Alison Hammond, and Noel Fielding. "But now feels like the right time to step back (I'm 86, for goodness' sake!), there's so much I'd like to do, not least spend summers enjoying my garden."
Prue, who had replaced Mary Berry, is confident that the series will continue to be as sweet.
"Whoever joins the team, I'm sure they'll love it as much as I have," she told me. "I feel very lucky to have been part of it."
Soon after Prue's announcement, her comment section was filled with well wishes from bakers who had competed in the famous tent, and Noel wrote a moving farewell.
"The world was on fire, and only Prue could save me," he captioned his own Instagram post. "I never thought I'd meet someone like Prue. And I never thought I'd lose someone like Prue.''
The host's carousel featured a selfie dressed like Prue—in her signature bright colors and bold glasses—as well as a slew of behind-the-scenes photos from the baking series over the years.
"You are a force of nature and an inspiration to the world," he said. "A dazzle of colors and a wonderful smile. I'll never forget the laughs we shared. We'll miss your enthusiasm and charisma in the tent.
As for Paul? In his own tribute, he simply stated, "You're the best, Prue!"
While Prue's departure is sad for fans, it was not rushed. In fact, the chef previously shared her thoughts on when it might be the right moment to step back.
"The only thing I'm certain of is that I want to leave before I'm pushed," she told E! News in a 2024 interview. "Obviously I'm not going to be able to do this forever, but while I'm enjoying it, and while they're prepared to let me just do the two I want to do, which are The Great American Baking Show and The Great British Bake Off—if they want me, I'm there."
She kept going: "I want to get out before they say, you know, 'Prue, I think perhaps after nine years, you think it's about time.'"
