Prue Leith confesses ‘I might stop next year’ as Bake Off journey nears crossroads135

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Prue Leith’s future on The Great British Bake Off is once again in the spotlight as she confirms she will not be appearing in the celebrity edition, choosing instead to focus her energy on the main series.
The latest celebrity special, which aired last month, featured a host of well-known personalities including Amelia Dimoldenberg, Kate Garraway, Jim Howick, and Adam Buxton, with Paul Hollywood returning to judge alongside Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond.
Prue’s absence was filled by her longtime friend Caroline Waldegrave OBE, who admitted she was “completely terrified” to step into the tent, but was soon put at ease by the warm welcome from the team and the famously light-hearted atmosphere.
Prue, now 85, has openly discussed the realities of aging and the demands of filming, saying, “I said no to the celebrity one because I wanted time off.
I love Bake Off.
It’s great fun.
Everyone gets on and the bakers are amazing.” In a candid interview, she reflected on her future, remarking, “Will this be my last one? I honestly don’t know.
I know I’ll have to stop some time and I’d rather jump than be pushed.
But right now I’m very happy.” Since joining the show in 2017 as Dame Mary Berry’s successor, Prue has become a beloved figure, but she acknowledges that the physical aspects of the role are increasingly challenging, noting, “Things like, getting out of a chair takes me longer than it used to.
I don’t like big steps without a handrail.
None of these things worried me two years ago—I could run upstairs”135.
Beyond Bake Off, Prue remains active with her ITV show, Prue Leith’s Cotswold Kitchen, where her husband John Playfair has become a surprise star, much to her amusement.
“He’s stealing my thunder and I’m supposed to be the TV star in the family.
We were at a supermarket checkout the other day and the girl on the till recognised John.
She said, ‘Oh, you’re the man on Cotswold Kitchen.
I love that show.
You’re so funny.’ I’m standing there packing the bags and she hasn’t a clue who I am.
I’m pleased for John though, he’s a natural.” As season 16 of The Great British Bake Off prepares to start filming in April, fans can look forward to at least one more season with Prue’s signature wit and warmth, but her remarks suggest the end of an era may be approaching, as she balances her love for the show with the realities of time and personal priorities.