Prue Leith Says She Is Leaving 'The Great British Baking Show'
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Ms. Leith, 86, presided over more than 400 challenges in nine
seasons of the TV baking competition, and says it "feels like
the right time."
Prue Leith, one of the judges on "The Great British Baking
Show," said on Wednesday that she was leaving the program
after presiding over more than 400 challenges in nine seasons.
"Now feels like the right time to step back (I'm 86 for
goodness sake!)" she wrote in a post on Instagram. "There's so
much I'd like to do, not least spend summers enjoying my
garden."
She said that the show, which is called "The Great British Bake
Off" in Britain, had been a "fabulous part of my life" and that
she would miss working with her fellow judges and presenters:
Paul Hollywood, Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond.
"Whoever joins the team, I'm sure they'll love it as much as
I have," Ms. Leith said. "I feel very lucky to have been part of
it."
The cheery show pits bakers competing in increasingly complex
challenges that test their creativity and execution of flavorful
baked goods. Loyal followers are invited to submit ideas for
episode themes during an audience week.
The show has been credited with changing the way Britons viewed
the cultural range and offerings of baking, and for inspiring
home bakers encouraged by the show's diverse roster of
contestants.
It was on the air for about a half-dozen years and was one of the
top-rated shows on British television when, in 2016, Love
Productions, the producers, decided to leave the BBC for Channel 4,
a rival network. The change prompted two of its hosts, Sue Perkins
and Mel Giedroyc, to leave.
The show was titled "The Great British Baking Show" on the publicly
funded American network PBS in the United States, where it was also
available on Netflix.
Ms. Leith, who was a judge on the BBC show "Great British Menu" and
"My Kitchen Rules" on Channel 4, joined the "Bake Off," which began
broadcasting in 2017.
The comedians Sandi Toksvig and Mr. Fielding also joined at
Channel 4. Mr. Hollywood remained with the show during the network
transition from the BBC.
Ms. Leith, who had worked as a chef, restaurateur, food educator,
writer and caterer, founded a cooking school, Leiths School of Food
and Wine, in London in 1975. She lent her name to a cooking school
in her native South Africa, helping to develop its curriculum.
On Instagram, Ms. Leith's followers and fans reacted to the news of
her departure and made reference to the off-color double entendres
she makes on the show. And on her "Cotswold's Kitchen" show, she was
not above sipping Grand Marnier from a spoon or licking a ladle
coated with chocolate.
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https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/arts/television/prue-leith-great-british-bake-off-judge-leaving.html>
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