Dame Prue Leith has revealed the emotional reason behind her departure from The Great British Bake Off, saying she felt she was "running out of time" to enjoy summer holidays. The 86-year-old confirmed in January she was leaving the programme after nine years, with Nigella Lawson now judging alongside Paul Hollywood.
Why Prue Leith left Bake Off
Speaking to Woman Magazine, Prue explained that her age played a significant role in her decision. "You can't be 86 without thinking about death a bit," she said. "I realised that I would never have a summer holiday in Europe again. Two years ago, I told them I was going to leave and they asked why and I said because I want a holiday in the summer."
She added: "I stopped doing the Celebrity Bake Off and I got a little taste for holidays after that, so that's one of the reasons. The other is that I think I've done enough of Bake Off."
Health scare and recovery
The restaurateur's comments follow a health scare that saw her rushed to hospital over concerns she may have had a stroke. While visiting Yorkshire, she suffered a serious migraine that affected her ability to speak properly, causing her husband John Playfair to grow worried. After he notified her GP, she was taken to hospital by ambulance.
In a social media post, she reassured fans: "For those that have messaged me, I wrote a piece of @theoldiemagazine about my trip to hospital a couple of months ago. I was fine shortly after and am very much alive and kicking now!"
Staying active in older age
Prue also spoke candidly about maintaining her fitness, disclosing that she performs various exercises and stretches daily. However, she has reluctantly scaled back on two beloved hobbies: tennis and horse-riding.
"As I've got older, I've reluctantly adapted," she shared with Good Housekeeping Magazine. "I like to think I get plenty of exercise. I'm on my feet a lot, in the garden or filming, cooking and so on. Once, I bought a Fitbit, thinking it would prove that I did plenty of daily steps. When it declared I only did 4,000, I gave it away - I don't like bad news!"
