Prue Leith, 85, who has served as a judge alongside Paul Hollywood since 2017, announced that she is stepping away from the series after nine seasons. During her time on the show, Leith judged an impressive 400 challenges. She shared the news with fans in a post on her Instagram account.
“After nine series and judging more than 400 challenges, I have decided to step down as a judge on The Great British Bake Off.”
“Bake Off has been a fabulous part of my life for the last nine years, I have genuinely loved it and I’m sure I’ll miss working with my fellow judge Paul, Alison and Noel and the teams at Love Productions and Channel 4. 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. Whoever joins the team, I’m sure they’ll love it as much as I have. I feel very lucky to have been part of it.”
While Prue’s departure is bittersweet for fans, it wasn’t a decision made on impulse. The chef has previously spoken openly about considering when the right time would be to step back from the show.
“The only thing I’m sure about is I want to go before I’m pushed,” Leith told E! News in 2024. “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 Great American Baking Show and Great British Bake Off—if they want me, I’m there.”
She added, “I want to get out before they say, you know, ‘Prue I think perhaps after nine years, you think it’s about time.’”
Prue Leith is a South African–born British chef, restaurateur, writer, and television personality best known for her role as a judge on The Great British Bake Off. Born on February 18, 1940, in Cape Town, she trained at the Cordon Bleu in London before building a successful culinary career in the UK.
Leith founded the influential catering company Leiths, which later expanded into the renowned Leiths School of Food and Wine. She is also a prolific author, having written numerous cookbooks and novels. In 2017, she joined The Great British Bake Off as a judge alongside Paul Hollywood.
Beyond television, Leith has been a prominent advocate for food education and women in business. Her contributions to the culinary world were recognized in 2021 when she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE).
