Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith, Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding for The Great British Bake Off S16 / Channel 4
Dame Prue Leith has announced her departure from The Great British Bake Off after nine years as a judge on the show.
The veteran restaurateur and broadcaster, who turns 86 next month, replaced Dame Mary Berry on the baking contest when it moved from the BBC to Channel 4 in 2017.
Leith said last year that she was contemplating a Bake Off exit due to her advanced years but has now confirmed that she will not be back for the new series this Autumn.
“Bake Off has been a fabulous part of my life for the last nine years,” she said in a statement. “I have genuinely loved it and I’m sure I’ll miss working with my fellow judge Paul [Hollywood], Alison [Hammond] and Noel [Fielding] 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.”
C4 chief content officer Ian Katz said: “Prue Leith has been a joyous presence in the tent, pairing absolute culinary authority with great generosity and empathy for the bakers. We are grateful for her passion, her wit, her ineffable style, and all the summers she spent in the tent.
“She leaves an indelible mark on the show and all its bakers. We will miss her wry, gentle judgement but look forward to working with her on new projects.”
This year’s series – the 17th – is due to start filming in April.
