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.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
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.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Dame Prue was hired for Bake Off after the series jumped from the BBC to Channel 4 in 2016.<\/p>\n
She replaced Dame Mary, who left the show along with presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins after the move.<\/p>\n
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”. <\/p>\n
“We are grateful for her passion, her wit, her ineffable style, and all the summers she spent in the tent.”<\/p>\n
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.”<\/p>\n
Former contestants also commented on Instagram to share their tributes to Leith.<\/p>\n
Jasmine Mitchell, who won Bake Off in 2025, wrote: “Prue, you’re amazing and we will miss you so very much.”<\/p>\n
Dr Rahul Mandal, who won in 2018, added: “We will miss you so much. It was a joy and privilege to be in the tent with you. You are kind, funny passionate and always inspired us.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n