Prue Leith's Most Memorable Moments From The Great British Baking Show

There was a huge fuss in 2016 when the BBC sold "The Great British Baking Show" to broadcaster Channel 4. Beloved judge Mary Berry couldn't leave the Beeb, and Prue Leith was chosen as her replacement, making her debut in August 2017. The South African-born star was known for having run Michelin-starred restaurant Leith's in London since 1969, followed by Leiths School of Food and Wine six years later.

But as a judge on "The Great British Baking Show," a new generation of foodies got to know her. Although Leith got off to a rocky start for some, she eventually made the judging role her own, giving us her clever catchphrase: "It has to be worth the calories." Like buttermilk in creme fraiche, she was an essential ingredient to the show's success at home and the United States, but it couldn't last forever.

Earlier this year, Leith announced on social media she was stepping down, saying it felt like "the right time to step back (I'm 86 for goodness sake!)." We were bereft but, shortly after, Leith told The Spectator why she decided to leave: Summer vacations. "I'll never again have a holiday in the south of France, in Italy, in Spain, or even in Cornwall or Scotland," she said, adding she was delighted with the "perfect" choice of her successor, Nigella Lawson. While we await her debut in Season 17 later this year, here's a look back at some of Prue Leith's best moments in the "Bake Off" tent.

"Poor Prue." That thought went through millions of minds every time she said something that sounded completely innocent, but would make fellow judge Paul Hollywood, the hosts, bakers, and all of us collapse in red-faced giggles. There are so many of them it's hard to keep count, but the 2023 Cake Week conversation about dry beavers resulted in red faces all round — apart from poor Prue.

That wasn't her first innuendo rodeo, either. A couple of years earlier, Hollywood and former host Matt Lucas were reduced to smirking schoolboys by Prue's straight-faced advice on how a baker could ensure their donuts had plenty of filling, telling them: "Quite often I need two holes so I can squirt." 

As far back in 2019, Leith knew the innuendoes were part and parcel of the show. "Paul is the devil," she told Happiful. "He will see something rude in the most innocent remark, and once he starts laughing on camera, we all do." In 2023, She insisted to the hosts of the "Dish" podcast that she never "gets" the jokes, and was baffled why the word "sausage" sent the three male stars of "GBBS" into hysterics, quipping: "They're like three children."

Everybody makes mistakes. We tell ourselves that they are opportunities to grow and learn, even if they leave our cheeks burning with embarrassment. Take that feeling and multiply it by the whole of social media, and you'll understand the magnitude of Prue Leith's Twitter gaffe from 2017.

Season 8 of "The Great British Baking Show" was the first to be shown on Channel 4 and the pressure was on for it to be a success. As the final loomed, fans counted the days until it aired, eager to see who would be crowned the overall winner. At the same time, judge Prue Leith was on the other side of the world in Bhutan, where the cellphone coverage was hit and miss. Checking her messages, there was a reminder for her to congratulate the Season 8 winner Sophie Faldo after 10 p.m., which Leith did in a glowing tweet.

It was only when a friend messaged and told her to delete the post did Leith realize she had sent it before the show had aired in the United Kingdom. The tweet was swiftly deleted and Leith apologized, citing the "massive" time difference. In later interviews the star said she felt "mortified" by the blunder. Twitter was inundated with posts featuring a triumphant Mary Berry, but in the end it didn't spoil fans' enjoyment of the show — the final attracted a record 7.7 million viewers.

There isn't much Prue Leith doesn't know about cuisine, and during her nine seasons as a judge, she's eaten a bite of everything, both good and bad. Between the weekly themes and the different cultures represented by the bakers, there has been a world of flavors showcased in the "Baking Show" tent. Sadly, some of them made a better impression than others.

While Paul Hollywood would refuse anything featuring pickles, Leith will at least try a nibble when things haven't quite gone to plan. However, in recent years, she has come clean about one of the bakes she tasted that was so bad, she just wanted to spit it out. Ever the diplomat, Leith said she couldn't remember the season or the baker, but revealed the offending item was "some kind of Lebanese biscuit" (the British word for cookie). 

Describing it in 2022 as "absolutely dreadful," she later found out the baker had added a tablespoon of spice, around twice the amount needed, per The A.V. Club. Two years later, Leith added that she didn't even like how the cookies smelled, and while their texture was fine, the taste was "truly awful." At least she kept it under wraps enough to avoid a full-on food television disaster.

Season 14 of "The Great British Baking Show," which aired in 2023, was a gift that kept on giving for many reasons. Apart from the beaver innuendo, it also saw the debut of co-host Alison Hammond, who was praised by critics for giving the slightly stale (how very dare they!) show a breath of fresh air. Her sense of fun rubbed off on everyone — including Prue Leith.

Fast forward to 2025 and Pastry Week in the tent. After overcoming the plaited bake and gala pie tests, the stressed-out bakers faced the Showstopper challenge: Make a visually stunning sculpted tart. Helpful as ever, Noel Fielding reminded the bakers what such a creation would look like, prompting Alison to strut her stuff between the workstations. In case anyone thought the gag was a bit sexist, she repeated the line, and Noel walked the tent catwalk to applause and smiles from the bakers.

"Who wants Prue to do it?" Noel quipped. Would she? Dare she? As Alison gave the line again, "For anyone who has forgotten what a visually stunning sculpted tart looks like, here's the Dame with a reminder." Right on cue, hands on her hips, and a wry smile on her face, Leith swished, sashayed, and boogied into the center of the room. Fans took to social media to show off their versions of the dance, but they couldn't hold a candle to Leith.

Mary Berry gained a reputation for liking a slosh of alcohol in puddings and bakes — her reaction to cocktail donuts in Season 5 springs to mind. But when Prue Leith joined "The Great British Baking Show," she inherited a similar preference without really doing anything to prove it. In 2019, during the charity version of the show which features celebrity bakers, British comedian Johnny Vegas talked about drinking the vodka he planned to put in his cookies. Leith told him as long as there was "enough left for the biscuits," things would be fine.

Fans discussed Leith's penchant for alcohol in bakes on social media, but also noted that she would point out when something had too much in it. By 2022, after being portrayed as someone who couldn't pass up a liquid lunch in "Bake Off the Musical" and endlessly teased in spin-off show "The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice," Leith decided to address the issue. Speaking to The Times, she said: "They're always making me sound like an alcoholic. I'm not, but I am very interested in wine."

Despite her denial, the image stuck. During 1970s Week in 2024, baker Christiaan's stack of profiteroles were deemed "quite" boozy, by Leith but both judges said his showstopper, which featured a filling made with advocaat liqueur, tipped into the "too boozy" category. He proudly posted a picture of his creation, saying it was "too boozy for Prue — who knew that was even possible?"

"Saturday Night Live" is renowned for its cold opens, but "The Great British Baking Show" has its own version. The majority of them were quite low-key and featured whoever was hosting the program, but in 2025 the show's creators stepped things up a gear, and Prue Leith delighted us all by playing along.

One featured the culinary queen embracing her inner Miranda Priestly. In a skit pulled from an iconic "The Devil Wears Prada" scene, employees warned each other to "gird their loins," as Leith made her elegant way to the tent. Although that didn't cause much of a fuss, the same can't be said of the "Barbie" cold open. Leith came out dressed as Weird Barbie and, according to the media, it sharply divided devotees: Some lapped it up, others decided it wasn't their slice of cake.

The most memorable opening of all had Leith front, center, and barely recognizable as David Attenborough in the show's hilarious take on "Jurassic Park." Resplendent in a full beard and wig, Leith explained how she had cloned human and dinosaur DNA to create (wait for it) Tyranno-Paul-us Rex. Fans thought it was brilliant, appreciating the corny humor and how much fun everyone seemed to be having before getting down to the serious business of the baking competition. Prue Leith may no longer be part of "The Great British Baking Show," but she's left us with lots of unforgettable memories.