Prue Leith Leaves Great British Bake Off After 9 Years

Dame Prue Leith, the celebrated chef and judge on Channel 4's The Great British Bake Off, announced her departure from the show after nine years, citing her age and a desire to pursue other interests.

In a statement posted on Instagram, the 86-year-old Leith reflected on her time on the program, which she joined in 2017 when it transitioned from the BBC to Channel 4. She replaced Mary Berry as a co-judge alongside Paul Hollywood and worked with a rotating lineup of hosts, including Sandi Toksvig, Matt Lucas, Alison Hammond, and Noel Fielding. Over the course of nine series, Leith judged more than 400 baking challenges, becoming known for her straightforward critiques, warm encouragement, and signature phrase "delicious" when tasting contestants' creations.

"Bake Off has been a fabulous part of my life for the last nine years," Leith said. "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...