Former Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith has opened up about what she describes as "one of the only regrets" of her life, admitting that neglecting friendships left her feeling "bloody lonely".
The 86-year-old left the Channel 4 show earlier this year after almost a decade, partly because the filming schedule made it impossible for her to take summer holidays. She has since been replaced by Nigella Lawson, who has joined Paul Hollywood on the judging team.
Regret over neglected friendships
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Prue admitted: "I've been very bad at friendship. I never thought it was important. If someone had said, 'You don't have any friends,' I'd have said, 'What do we need friends for?' It didn't occur to me it was unwise.'"
The TV star called this "one of the only regrets" she has had in her long and successful life. It also left her very lonely when her first husband, property developer Rayne Kruger, died in 2002.
Prue realised she didn't have any friends or even know her neighbours, and she admitted she later "regretted" it. She has since remarried after meeting second husband, John Playfair, in 2010.
Why she quit Bake Off
The renowned cook said that John is "very good at friendship," and he has brought them to the table of their Cotswold home.
It came after Prue recently admitted one of the reasons she quit Bake Off is because she felt she was "running out of time" to enjoy the summer months, which is when a lot of the filming for the Channel 4 show takes place.
She told Woman Magazine: "You can't be 86 without thinking about death a bit. 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."
Summer break and new show
Prue explained that, while she "really loved" her time on the show, she felt she was "running out of time" to enjoy the summer months. She also said that she thinks she's done enough of Bake Off.
The former Bake Off judge enjoyed her extended break this summer, travelling in Poland, Latvia and Estonia with her husband for a month. She then took a house in Biarritz, France, for a month with the whole family.
Prue returns to TV screens with a new travel show, Prue & Sandi's South African Adventure. It features her travelling around her native South Africa with former Bake Off colleague, Sandi Toksvig, and airs on Channel 4 later this month.
