Dame Prue Leith has revealed the emotional reason behind her decision to leave The Great British Bake Off. The 86-year-old announced in January that she was stepping away from the show after nine years, and has since been replaced by Nigella Lawson, who now judges alongside Paul Hollywood.
A desire for summer holidays
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, when filming takes place. "You can't be 86 without thinking about death a bit," she told Woman Magazine. "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."
Hospital scare and recovery
The restaurateur's candid admission comes after she was taken to hospital amid fears she may have suffered a stroke. While away in Yorkshire, Prue experienced a severe migraine that left her struggling to speak clearly, prompting her husband John Playfair to become concerned. After he informed her doctor of her symptoms, she was taken to hospital by ambulance.
In a subsequent update on social media, she reassured fans about her health, writing: "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 fit and healthy
Opening up about how she stays fit and healthy, Prue revealed that she religiously practises a range of exercises and stretches every day. However, she has reluctantly cut back on two of her favourite pastimes, tennis and horse-riding. "As I've got older, I've reluctantly adapted," she told 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!"
