Prue Leith stepping down as Great British Bake Off judge

Dame Prue Leith has announced she is stepping down as a judge on Channel 4’s The Great British Bake Off.

The 86-year-old said she has “genuinely loved” working on the programme for the past nine series and after judging more than 400 challenges.

She has been a judge on the popular baking show alongside Paul Hollywood since 2017 when the series moved from the BBC to Channel 4.

Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding are the current Bake Off presenters, while Dame Prue also worked with their predecessors Sandi Toksvig and Matt Lucas.

Dame Prue said in a statement on Wednesday: “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.”

Channel 4 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 judgment but look forward to working with her on new projects.”

The next series of The Great British Bake Off will air on Channel 4 later this year.

Channel 4 said a new judge will be announced in due course.

Love Productions, which produces the show, said: “Huge thanks to Prue who has been a brilliant judge on Bake Off and a much loved presence in the tent for nearly a decade.

“From her genuine expertise and encouragement of the bakers to her ability to drop innocent innuendos that reduce the entire tent (and the audience at home) to tears of laughter, Prue will always have a piece of Bake Off’s heart.”