All posts tagged: Prue

Dame Prue Leith reveals true feelings on Nigella Lawson joining Great British Bake Off

Dame Prue Leith reveals true feelings on Nigella Lawson joining Great British Bake Off

Dame Prue Leith doesn’t think Great British Bake Off producers could have found a “better” replacement than Nigella Lawson. The 86-year-old star announced in January that she was stepping down as Paul Hollywood’s fellow judge on the Channel 4 baking competition, and food writer Nigella, 66, will be taking over inside the iconic tent. Reflecting on the decision, Dame Prue told HELLO! magazine: “I don’t think they could have chosen a better person. I don’t know her well, but what I know of her is all good.” Dame Prue previously insisted while Nigella will “be very different” as a judge, she is backing her to be a success. She told the Daily Star newspaper: “But she’s a class act, she really knows what she’s doing. “She knows her onions – people will expect her to know about cake, which she certainly does, but what they won’t expect is how clever she is, how sharp, witty – she’s really erudite. “She’s a fantastically clever woman.” However, she insisted Paul Hollywood could easily have continued as a …

Prue Leith shares advice for ‘frightened’ Nigella Lawson ahead of Great British Bake Off debut

Prue Leith shares advice for ‘frightened’ Nigella Lawson ahead of Great British Bake Off debut

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Dame Prue Leith has some words of wisdom for Nigella Lawson as she prepares to join Great British Bake Off as the show’s new judge. It was announced in January that the celebrity chef will succeed Leith for the next series of the popular baking competition. Leith announced she would be stepping down from the post she has held for nine years, a role she took over from Dame Mary Berry in 2017, the same year the show moved over from the BBC to its new home on Channel 4. “It’s daunting to be following in the footsteps” of both Leith and Berry, said Lawson last month. Asked in a new interview with The Telegraph whether she has any tips for her successor, Leith replied simply: “Just enjoy it, because you’ll never have a nicer job.” Another tip, she added, is …

Dame Prue Leith shares advice for new Bake Off host Nigella Lawson and why she really decided to leave beloved show

Dame Prue Leith shares advice for new Bake Off host Nigella Lawson and why she really decided to leave beloved show

Dame Prue Leith has shared her advice for the new host of the Great British Bake Off, Nigella Lawson. The 86-year-old joined Paul Hollywood as a judge on the beloved baking show for nine years, joining the programme in 2017 when it moved from the BBC to Channel 4. © Instagram / @britishbakeoffPrue was on the GBBO for nine years Now, in a new interview with the Telegraph, Prue has revealed her advice for Nigella as she passes over the baton.  She told the publication when asked what her pearls of wisdom are: “Just enjoy it, because you’ll never have a nicer job.” Nigella Lawson is the new judge Prue’s shock decision During the conversation, Prue also shed more light on her reasons for departing the show, explaining that she didn’t want to “overstay her welcome” and came after “dithering” on the idea for two years. Prue said: “I’ve never wanted to overstay my welcome in anything. Just like you don’t want to stay too long at a dinner party, I think it’s important to …

Dame Prue Leith says walking London Fashion Week runway at 86 is ‘ludicrous – but funny’

Dame Prue Leith says walking London Fashion Week runway at 86 is ‘ludicrous – but funny’

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Dame Prue Leith says that walking the runway at 86 is “ludicrous”, but insists that is precisely why she enjoys it, as she returned to the catwalk for Vin + Omi at London Fashion Week. The broadcaster and restaurateur walked the runway in a pink ruffled shirt and orange suit, with a floral headpiece for the design duo’s latest eco-collection, JORD – the day before her 86th birthday – in a show that also marks a new collaboration with the British Heart Foundation (BHF). Her tailored suit was made from fabric developed using waste clippings of holly from the King’s Sandringham Estate, part of the designers’ ongoing collaboration with the King. Fellow guest model, editor-in-chief of the Evening Standard Dylan Jones, wore a similar …

Prue Leith Explains Why She Quit The Great British Bake Off

Prue Leith Explains Why She Quit The Great British Bake Off

Dame Prue Leith has opened up about her decision to step down from The Great British Bake Off. In a statement earlier this month, Dame Prue announced she was leaving the show after nine years co-judging with Paul Hollywood, having first joined Bake Off when it moved to Channel 4 in 2017. Now, she has elaborated on her decision in a piece for The Spectator, admitting that she’s been “dithering for years” about the right time to leave Bake Off. “When I joined nine years ago, I thought, since I was in my mid-70s, that I’d be lucky to manage two years,” Prue wrote. “At that age, my mother was deaf as a post and away with the fairies, believing her son was her father and that her cat was the one she’d had 40 years before. But my marbles stayed more or less in place and there seemed no good reason to give up a job I loved.” Dame Prue went on to explain that “the desire to work less and play more” got …

Prue Leith opens up on why she quit The Great British Bake Off

Prue Leith opens up on why she quit The Great British Bake Off

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Dame Prue Leith has revealed her decision to depart from The Great British Bake Off stems from a desire to “work less and play more”. The announcement last week confirmed her departure as a judge after nine series, during which she oversaw more than 400 challenges. Dame Prue joined the popular Channel 4 baking competition in 2017 following its move from the BBC, and will be succeeded by acclaimed TV cook and author Nigella Lawson. Speaking to The Spectator, Dame Prue said: “I have been dithering for years about when to stop judging The Great British Bake Off. “When I joined nine years ago, I thought, since I was in my mid-seventies, that I’d be lucky to manage two years. “At that age, my mother was deaf as a post and away with the fairies, believing her son was her father …

Prue Leith opens up on why she quit The Great British Bake Off

Great British Bake Off: Nigella Lawson to replace Prue Leith on GBBO

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Nigella Lawson will replace Dame Prue Leith on Great British Bake Off, it’s been announced. On Monday (26 January), Channel 4 revealed that the celebrity chef will succeed Leith on the popular baking competition for its next series, with Lawson saying she is “uncharacteristically rather lost for words” by her appointment. Lawson said “it’s daunting to be following in the footsteps” of both Leith and Mary Berry, who was involved with the show during its time on the BBC. However, she added: “I’m also bubbling with excitement”. “The Great British Bake Off is more than a television programme, it’s a national treasure – and it’s a huge honour to be entrusted with it,” she said in a statement. “I’m just thrilled to be joining the team and all the new bakers to come, I wish the marvellous Prue all the best, …

Prue Leith is leaving “Bake Off”

Prue Leith is leaving “Bake Off”

Prue Leith has announced that she has taken her final turn around the “Bake Off” tent. After nine seasons as a judge on the popular British baking competition, Leith will be passing the metaphorical judges torch — or fork. “‘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 judges Paul, Alison and Noel and the teams at Love Productions and Channel 4,” wrote Leith on Instagram Wednesday. For nearly a decade, Leith has been like our exuberant and extravagant, sweets-loving aunt. She’ll be remembered on the show for her vibrant, geometric necklaces and penchant for pastries with a strong kick of booze. Leith joined “Bake Off” in 2017 when it moved from BBC to Channel 4. She replaced original co-host Mary Berry and joined longtime co-host Paul Hollywood as the connoisseurs of home-baking. She often played the “good cop” to Hollywood’s icy criticisms, but Leith was also known for assigning some of the more complicated …

Prue Leith Quits The Great British Bake Off After 9 Seasons

Prue Leith Quits The Great British Bake Off After 9 Seasons

Prue Leith has announced that she will not be returning to the Great British Bake Off. In a statement released on Wednesday afternoon, Prue – who has been with Bake Off since it made the jump to Channel 4 in 2017 – enthused: “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 [Hollywood], Alison [Hammond] and Noel [Fielding] and the teams at Love Productions and Channel 4.” She continued: “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.” A post on Bake Off’s official social media pages also read: “Our wonderful Prue has decided to step away from judging Bake Off. “From joyful judging to colourful fits to accidental innuendoes, …