Why has Prue Leith been replaced on Bake Off?

PRUE Leith has been a fixture on the nation's favourite baking competition for the past seven years.

But the judge is taking a break from the summer 2024 celebrity edition — here we take a look at why.

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Has Prue Leith left Bake Off?

According to insiders, Prue Leith will not appear on Celebrity Bake Off in the summer of 2024 due to charity commitments.

A source said: “Prue absolutely loves working on Bake Off but filming two series a year can be punishing on top of her other commitments.

“She has already filmed the normal series, which will air this year but she will not appear on the celebrity version.

“Prue has made it clear she adores the show and would like to come back in 2025.

“She will turn 85 next year, so it’s not surprising that she wants to take time off.”

Who is replacing Prue Leith?

Bosses at Channel 4 are now searching for a replacement to judge the show alongside Paul Hollywood.

The current favourite to fill in for Prue is celebrity chef Nigella Lawson.

A spokesman for Bake Off creator Love Productions said: “Prue will be stepping back from The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer.”

How did Prue Leith make her fortune?

Prue started her career catering high-class business lunches, before working her way up to opening her own restaurant, Leith's, which has earned a Michelin star.

She also opened Leith's School of Food and Wine in 1974 — which she sold almost 20 years later.

Prue has been recognised around the world for her contributions to the culinary world.

She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1989, and was awarded as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2010.

The writer is good friends with former GBBO judge Mary Berry and she tried to pay tribute to her pal when she first joined Bake Off, but the show's producers wouldn't allow it.

Before joining the hit Channel 4 baking show, she was already enjoying a career as a celebrity chef.

Prue has said she was inspired to cook by a woman she worked for as an au pair in France.

She then went on to learn to cook professionally at the Cordon Bleu in London.

Prue is understood to have signed a deal with Channel 4 in 2017 worth around £200,000 per series.

It dwarfs the £70,000 both Mary and co-judge Paul Hollywood commanded for the show when it was on the BBC.

What is Prue Leith's net worth?

Prue is no stranger to a lucrative deal.

When she sold off her food interests in 1995, her culinary group’s turnover was £15million, according to Spears.

As of March 2024, most outlets estimate Prue's net worth to be in the region of £85million.

How old is Prue Leith

Prue was born in South Africa on February 18, 1940.

So at the time of writing, the cooking legend is 84 years old.