Prue Leith announces she's leaving The Great British Bake Off
After nine years on the show!
Last updated 21st Jan 2026
After almost a decade on the show, Dame Prue Leith has announced she's stepping down from her judging role on popular Channel 4 show The Great British Bake Off.
Prue, who turns 86 in February, has revealed "now feels like the right time to step back".
Sharing the news on Instagram, Prue wrote: 'After nine series and judging more than 400 challenges, I have decided to step down as a judge on The Great British Bake Off.
'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. 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.' (sic)
As fans will know,Prue stepped down from the celebrity versionof the show back in 2025, where she was replaced by Lady Caroline Waldegrave, but she did appear on the series 16, which aired between September and November last year.
How long has she been on Bake Off?
Prue first joined Bake Off when the show moved over to Channel 4 in 2017, replacing Mary Berry on the panel. She's been a popular figure on the show for the last nine years.
Who is replacing Prue?
Channel 4 bosses haven't yet confirmed who will replace Prue for the 2026 series.
Will Paul Hollywood still feature?
Although nothing has been confirmed, it's understood Paul Hollywood will remain on the show, alongside hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond.
Applications for the 17th series of Bake Off closed earlier this month, with filming due to begin in the Summer.
Check out these Bake Off facts below:
1. Anyone can apply for Bake Off
Except professional bakers or chefs!
Applications are open to any UK resident over the age of 16. However they cannot make their main source of income from commercial baking and entrants can't have worked as a professional chef or baker at any point. Plus, applicants cannot have acquired any professional catering qualifications in the last ten years.
2. The GBBO application form is VERY LONG
It's seven pages long, asks a LOT of questions, and demands you reveal the truth about your previous successes and failures in the kitchen.
You can find it here.
3. The Great British Bake Off application process doesn’t stop there!
If they like what they see on your application form, a researcher will call you and give you a 45 minute interview over the phone.
Then, if you pass THAT test, they'll have you whip up two baked treats, bring them to London, have an interview with a producer, and go through a screen test.
Think you're done? Nope!
You then have to try out a Technical Challenge set by the GBBO judges - in front of the camera. They also ask that you bring another bake along (presumably the producers are taste testing these / big fans of cake).
If you're still in the running, you'll then be interviewed by the show's psychologist to make sure they can handle the pressure of filming.
4. GBBO filming is intense
The show is filmed over a 10-week period between April and June, with contestants spending up to 16 hours a day filming.
They manage to package up a whole session of baking into one hour, which means that a lot of it ends up on the cutting room floor.
5... but at least it’s contained to weekends
That's right, contestants only do their GBBO stuff on weekends, which means that they can keep working their normal 9-to-5 jobs in the week.
However they are picked up from their hotels at 9am each Saturday and Sunday morning, to ensure they get as much filming time in as possible.
No rest for the wicked, eh?
6. GBBO contestants don’t do the washing up themselves
There's no dishwasher on Bake Off, because the noise would disrupt filming. Instead, home economists spend 160 hours washing up everything by hand. We hope they all get given a free hand lotion each…
7. GBBO contestants pay for ingredients themselves
Yes, that's right. They only get their ingredients provided when they reach the finals - which makes things pretty expensive. Particularly as they use between 12-20 ingredients per bake.
8. A lot of people are involved in the production of GBBO
There are around 50 crew members on set - and, yes, they all get to tuck into the cakes and goodies after the judges give their verdict.
9. GBBO contestants are encouraged to become friends
Producers take all contestants out for dinner together on the first night, and they usually become good pals over time; they often stay at the same hotel, so dinners and drinks and socialising become pretty regular.
Which means that, yes, they really DO mean it when they say they're happy for the overall winner - they're pretty much all besties by that point!
10. They make more cakes than you’d ever dreamed of
They bake a Victoria Sponge in each oven every single morning of filming, to make sure everything is ship-shape and ready to go. We imagine everyone gets a bit sick of tucking into that particular type of cake come the end of filming!
11. The show is LITERALLY based on village fetes
That's right; Anna Beattie, the show's creator, really believed that village fete baking competitions would suit TV. Anna, judging by the viewing figures, was 100% correct!
12. Mel and Sue recommended Mary Berry
The duo were approached to present the show together - and they were quick to suggest that Mary Berry should be a judge back when GBBO was on BBC One. The show moved to Channel 4 in 2017 without Mary Berry.
13. It’s not a disaster if someone forgets an ingredient
In fact, producers are well and truly prepared if this happens; they have a runner on standby at a local supermarket every morning in case a contestant realises overnight that they've forgotten an ingredient.
14. Oven time is crucial
So much so that contestants aren't allowed to put anything in - or take anything out of - the oven without flagging a producer down first. They want to make sure that they have a camera on standby to film those big baking moments.
15. The Bake Off challenges are NOT surprises
If you make it through to the Bake Off finals, you will be told what the challenges are going to be - and you'll have to submit your recipes for approval. No pressure, eh?
16. Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood were off limits
Back when the show was on BBC One, they preferred to keep things professional with contestants, and wouldn't usually speak to them outside of the Bake Off tent.
17. … but Mel and Sue weren't
The duo were happy to chat to contestants away from the cameras - and Sue even said that she likes to stay in touch with them via email once the show is all over. N'aww.
Now read:
The Great British Bake Off winner revealed
How to apply for The Great British Bake Off