After nine seasons on the judges’ panel, Prue Leith has decided to step away from The Great British Bake Off. The dame and TV chef shared the news on Instagram, giving a heartfelt farewell. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like there’s anything shady happening with this exit. She’s just ready to start a new chapter.
Prue Leith called GBBO “a fabulous part” of her life
Prue confirmed her departure from GBBO on Instagram. She shared a couple of snaps alongside longtime judge Paul Hollywood and presenters Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding. In the caption, she shared a heartfelt statement about the decision.
“After nine series and judging more than 400 challenges, I have decided to step down as a judge on The Great British Bake Off,” Prue wrote.
“Bake Off has been a fabulous part of my life for the last nine years,” Prue continued. “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.”
Prue joined GBBO in 2017, replacing the iconic Mary Berry. Before her exit from GBBO, Prue announced that she would not return for the celebrity edition of the show. For that season, Lady Caroline Waldegrave was tapped to replace her.
It hasn’t been confirmed whether or not Caroline will also replace Prue on the main series. Either way, Prue wished them the best of luck.
“Whoever joins the team, I’m sure they’ll love it as much as I have,” Prue concluded. “I feel very lucky to have been part of it.”
The Great British Bake Off is available to stream on Channel 4.
TELL US – ARE YOU SAD TO SEE PRUE EXITING GBBO? WHO DO YOU THINK SHOULD REPLACE HER?
