Prue Leith Confirms She’s Staying on ‘The Great British Bake Off’ – Fans Breathe Easy as Iconic Judge Plans to Continue
By Entertainment Desk December 31, 2025
Fans of The Great British Bake Off can relax: Dame Prue Leith has reaffirmed her commitment to the beloved Channel 4 series, stating she has no immediate plans to step away from the iconic white tent. The 85-year-old judge, who joined the show in 2017 replacing Mary Berry, has become an indispensable part of its charm with her signature warmth, sharp humour, colourful necklaces, and thoughtful critiques alongside Paul Hollywood.
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Prue Leith judging alongside Paul Hollywood on The Great British Bake Off. (Channel 4/Love Productions)
In recent interviews throughout 2025, Leith has consistently expressed her enduring love for the role. “It’s the best job in telly,” she told ITV’s Lorraine in July. “I don’t have to learn lines, I don’t have to write a script, I don’t have to rehearse. We all go and eat cake!” She emphasised that stepping back from the celebrity spin-offs – including The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer, where she was temporarily replaced by friends like Caroline Waldegrave – was purely to allow for holidays after years of back-to-back filming, not a sign of retirement from the main series.
Earlier in the year, comments in a February Daily Mail interview sparked brief concern when Leith admitted, “I’ve got to stop some time, so I might stop next year,” citing feeling “a bit older” and wanting to leave on a high note before being asked to depart. However, subsequent statements clarified her enthusiasm: in an August press roundtable with co-stars Paul Hollywood, Alison Hammond, and Noel Fielding, she responded to questions about working into her 90s with, “Yeah, why not?”
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Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood in the Bake Off tent. (Channel 4)
The upcoming 2026 series – with applications now open for amateur bakers – will once again feature Leith and Hollywood as judges, hosted by the popular duo of Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding. Production company Love Productions and Channel 4 have confirmed the full lineup remains intact, promising another season of high-stakes challenges that push contestants to new creative heights.
Viewers can expect the return of fan-favourite classic weeks alongside innovative tests that even the judges find demanding. Leith has teased elevated bakes from increasingly artistic and engineering-minded contestants, with Bread Week remaining her personal highlight for its less-sweet focus. The show’s enduring appeal lies in its kind-hearted atmosphere, which Leith credits to the tent’s unique magic: “It changes people.”
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The iconic white tent of The Great British Bake Off. (Channel 4/Love Productions)
Since joining post the BBC-to-Channel 4 move, Leith has brought a fresh dynamic, balancing Hollywood’s technical precision with her encouraging, flavour-focused approach. Her absence from celebrity specials fueled unfounded exit rumours, but she has repeatedly quashed them, affirming her joy in the role.
As Bake Off continues to draw massive audiences and inspire home bakers, Leith’s reassuring presence ensures the recipe for success stays unchanged – for now, at least. When asked directly about the show’s future without her, Leith’s ongoing passion suggests fans won’t need to worry anytime soon.
The Great British Bake Off returns in 2026 on Channel 4. Applications for bakers are open until early 2026.
