Prue Leith admitted being 86 was one reason she decided to leave The Great British Bake Off

There’s a new judge in the Bake Off tent this year, with Nigella Lawson joining Paul Hollywood behind the judging table.

She’s stepping into a job previously occupied by Dame Prue Leith, who decided to leave The Great British Bake Off after nine years on the Channel 4 show.

Prue confirmed in January 2026 that she would not be returning, bringing her time on Bake Off to an end after nine years of judging alongside Paul.

Via Channel 4

Prue said her age was one reason she left Bake Off

At 86, Prue admitted that getting older was one factor in her decision.

Speaking on The Shift podcast in March, she reflected on the fact that Paul has always enjoyed reminding her that there’s quite an age gap between them.

“Ever since I’ve been on Bake Off, Paul has always teased me because I’m so much older than him,” she said.

“He’d say things like ‘Come along deary, upsy daisy’, ‘time for your nap’ or ‘time for your tea’, or something or other,” Prue added. “This is a running joke… but of late I’ve thought ‘Actually, you’re right mate’.”

And while the jokes had always been part of their dynamic, Prue realised that eventually they might not be so far from reality.

“If I had stayed on Bake Off, I’d have asked for a ramp to get into my Winnebago. Paul’s teasing would have become absolutely true, so he would have probably stopped doing it.”

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But there was also another, much more straightforward reason for her decision: She wanted her summer back.

Via Channel 4

She wanted to have more time away from work

Prue explained to The Spectator that leaving Bake Off wasn’t something she’d suddenly decided to do. She had been contemplating it for a while, particularly because of how much of her summer the programme takes up.

“Finally, though, the desire to work less and play more got to me,” she said. “Bake Off and its offshoots such as The Great American Baking Show and even the Christmas specials are all filmed in the summer, which has meant I could never have a summer holiday.”

When she first announced her departure, she made it clear that she wasn’t leaving because she had fallen out of love with the show.

“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 [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.”

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Featured image via Channel 4