Sad news for fans of The Great British Bake Off as judge Dame Prue Leith will be stepping away from the beloved baking competition.
The 84-year-old chef won’t be returning for this year’s celebrity version of the show, wanting to take time to enjoy her other hobbies.
She has been a judge on the popular Channel 4 show since 2017 alongside Paul Hollywood who has been a part of it since its inception in 2010.
Reassuring us all, her representative shared a statement from her on Metro.co.uk: ‘I absolutely love working on Bake Off and am looking forward to filming the next series and meeting our new bakers.
‘I am only stepping back from the Celebrity series, which is just a question of the filming commitment involved as we make these shows back to back.’
Prue famously took over from Mary Berry when the show moved to Channel 4 so naturally there is already speculation about who could step into her shoes.
Nigella Lawson
The legendary Nigella Lawson is in the running to take over Prue’s slot, which is made more likely as it is the celebrity version, not a full-time gig.
A national treasure who embodies the cheeky innuendo-filled cookery that GBBO does so well so it’s no surprise she is reportedly the producers’ top pick.
The 64-year-old — yes Nigella is 64 — has been a staple of British TV since the 00s and she even worked with Channel 4 for her debut show Nigella Bites.
Flexing her judging muscles, she has been down under working on My Kitchen Rules as well as stints on MasterChef Australia but Bake Off could bring her home.
Ravneet Gill
Pastry chef Ravneet Gill will be familiar to any diehard GBBO fans as she has judged Junior Bake Off since 2020.
She joined the cast in season six, after none other than Prue exited, having judged for one season.
The 32-year-old author is popular with viewers as she bounces off fellow judge and former Bake Off contestant Liam Charles.
While she may not have the celebrity status of some other chefs, she certainly has the know-how in the famous tent to step into Prue’s shoes.
Nadiya Hussain
Need we say more? Possibly the most successful winner in Great British Bake Off history is Nadiya Hussain, 39.
It’s been almost a decade since she charmed the British public with her perfect cakes and unforgettable iced buns in the sixth series.
Since then she was chosen to cook for the 90th birthday celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II and has regularly appeared as a panellist on Loose Women.
As a former contestant, the Nadiya’s Family Favourites star would understand the pressures of the show like nobody else and could bring more culturally diverse challenges, which have been a weak point in the tent.
Lorraine Pascale
Model, actress, author, and baker — there’s not much Lorraine Pascale can’t do.
The My Kitchen Rules judge began her career after being spotted by model scouts who found Naomi Campbell but after appearing in Robbie Williams’ Millenium music video she moved into cooking.
From 2007 to 2012, Lorraine, 51, had her own bakery in London named Ella’s Bakehouse after her daughter.
She relocated to the US to work on the Food Network and was a mentor on Worst Bakers in America but has not reappeared on the channel since Covid.
Candice Brown
Another Bake Off legacy, Candice Brown won the seventh series of Bake Off in 2016, the last series to air on the BBC.
The former PE teacher won over fans on her season with bold lipsticks and a cheery personality.
Since then, the 39-year-old has made a name for herself by cooking regularly on ITV’s popular breakfast show, This Morning.
She also branched away from baking with run on Dancing On Ice in 2018 then a celebrity special of Mastermind the following year, which she won with her specialist subject Audrey Hepburn.
Delia Smith
Okay, we’ll admit this is a long shot as Delia Smith publicly retired from cooking shows in 2013 but it’s not impossible… we believe.
The 82-year-old chef was credited with boosting egg sales in the UK with her Delia’s How to Cook series, dubbed the Delia Effect.
How much more iconic could you get than bringing the TV chef out of retirement for a special Bake Off series?
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