Prue Leith confirms The Great British Bake Off exit after nearly a decade in judge role

There's a big change a-brewing in the Great British Bake Off tent, as Prue Leith has announced she is stepping down from the show after nine years.

Leith first joined the series in 2017 when the baking show moved from the BBC to Channel 4, and has been a fixture on it ever since, acting as a judge alongside Paul Hollywood.

The restauranteur and cookery writer stepped down from her role for the programme's Stand Up to Cancer celebrity spin-off back in 2024, with Lady Caroline Waldegrave stepping in.

Now, Leith has decided to leave Bake Off entirely, saying in a statement: "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."

During Leith's time on the show, she has seen former presenters Sandi Toksvig and Matt Lucas both depart the series at various junctures.

Love Productions, the company behind the series, 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."

Channel 4’s chief content officer Ian Katz added: "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 judgement but look forward to working with her on new projects."

While fans will no doubt be sad to see Leith go, they do not need to fear for the future of the series – it has already been confirmed that The Great British Bake Off will return to Channel 4 later this year, with Hollywood, Hammond and Fielding currently all expected to return.

This year's season will see the introduction of an Audience Choice week, with the series having already called out for ideas for the challenges from fans.

Channel 4 has confirmed that a new judge to take Leith's place will be announced in due course.

The Great British Bake Off is available to watch on Channel 4 on catch-up.

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