Prue Leith leaves The Great British Bake Off

Dame Prue Leith is to leave The Great British Bake Off after almost a decade as a judge on the show.

The 86-year-old replaced Mary Berry on the series in 2017, appearing alongside fellow judge Paul Hollywood and hosts Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding.

In a statement, Dame Prue said “now feels like the right time to step back”, adding: “There’s so much I’d like to do.”

Broadcaster Channel 4 has not yet been announced who will take over from her on the series.

Dame Prue said: “Bake Off has been a fabulous part of my life for the last nine years, I have genuinely loved it and I’m sure I’ll miss working with my fellow judge Paul, Alison and Noel and the teams at Love Productions and Channel 4.

“But now feels like the right time to step back (I’m 86 for goodness sake!), there’s so much I’d like to do, not least spend summers enjoying my garden.”

She added: “Whoever joins the team, I’m sure they’ll love it as much as I have. I feel very lucky to have been part of it.”

Channel 4’s chief content officer Ian Katz said Leith had been “a joyous presence in the tent, pairing absolute culinary authority with great generosity and empathy for the bakers”.

“We are grateful for her passion, her wit, her ineffable style, and all the summers she spent in the tent.”

He added: “She leaves an indelible mark on the show and all its bakers. We will miss her wry, gentle judgement but look forward to working with her on new projects.”