The Great British Bake Off is preparing for a new recipe.
Prue Leith—who served as a judge alongside Paul Hollywood since the show moved to Channel 4 from BBC in 2017—announced she’s leaving the series after nine seasons, during which time she judged a whopping 400 challenges.
“Bake Off has been a fabulous part of my life,” she wrote in her Jan. 21 Instagram post, noting she’ll miss working alongside Paul and hosts Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding. “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.”
As for who might take her place alongside Paul, Prue—who had replaced Mary Berry—knows the series will remain just as sweet.
“Whoever joins the team, I’m sure they’ll love it as much as I have,” she concluded. “I feel very lucky to have been part of it.”
Soon after Prue’s announcement, not only was her comment section filled with well wishes from bakers who had competed in the famed tent, but Noel also penned a moving send off.
