Dame Prue Leith leaves The Great British Bake Off

Dame Prue Leith is to leave The Great British Bake Off after almost a decade as a judge on the show.

The 86-year-old replaced Dame Mary Berry on the series in 2017, appearing alongside fellow judge Paul Hollywood.

In a statement posted on Instagram, Dame Prue said “now feels like the right time to step back”, adding: “There’s so much I’d like to do.”

Broadcaster Channel 4 has not yet been announced who will take over from her on the series.

The announcement comes after Dame Prue stepped down from the celebrity version of Bake Off in 2024. She was replaced by Lady Caroline Waldegrave.

Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding are the current Bake Off presenters, but Dame Prue has also appeared with previous hosts Sandi Toksvig and Matt Lucas.

Dame Prue said: “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.”

She added: “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.”

Dame Prue was hired for Bake Off after the series jumped from the BBC to Channel 4 in 2016.

She replaced Dame Mary, who left the show along with presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins after the move.

Channel 4’s chief content officer Ian Katz said Dame Prue had 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.”

He added: “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.”