Prue Leith Reveals She ‘Hasn’t Got Much Longer’
The renowned Great British Bake Off judge, Prue Leith, has candidly revealed that she believes she is nearing the end of her life, stating "I haven’t got much longer". The 85-year-old star made this poignant admission during an appearance on The Travel Diaries podcast with Holly Rubenstein.
According to the Bristol Post, Dame Prue expressed her desire to spend as much time as possible with her husband, John Playfair. She revealed that she now relies on her husband’s assistance when travelling for work, stating: "I haven’t got much longer, I’m 85, I want to spend as much time as I can with him."
The Bristol Post reports that Dame Prue’s comments were made in the context of her upcoming trip to New York, where she will be publicising the American baking show. She joked that her agent now insists that she be accompanied by her husband, saying: "I’m now old enough for my agent to say ‘I’m sorry, but she has to ring her husband, because she’s 85, she needs someone to carry the bags’ she doesn’t quite say ‘she needs a carer’ but it’s pretty close."
Dame Prue also spoke fondly of her husband, praising his humble nature. She told the podcast: "One of the wonderful things about him is that he is totally without ego, he doesn’t feel threatened by the fact that I have a higher profile than he does, when I introduce him (to people) he always just says ‘I’m the handbag carrier, I’m her chauffeur’."
The couple, who married in 2016, have been together for several years, and Dame Prue credits her husband with being a source of support. She also attributes her youthful appearance at 85 to a combination of good sleep, healthy eating, and happiness, saying: "I wish I could say it is from some wonderful thing I do, but if I look good or at least younger than I am, then it’s got to be at least because I sleep well and I eat well, and I am happy, when you’re unhappy, you don’t eat well."
Throughout her illustrious career, Dame Prue has made a significant impact on the culinary world. She studied at the Cordon Bleu Cookery School at the age of 20 and went on to open her first restaurant, Leith’s, in Notting Hill, London, at the age of 29. Her television appearances, including Prue Leith’s Cotswold Kitchen and the Great British Bake Off, have cemented her status as a beloved figure in British television.
Despite her ongoing role on GBBO, Dame Prue has decided to step back from the celebrity edition of the baking show. In an interview with the Bristol Post, she explained: "These things are filmed back-to-back all the way through summer from April to August so you don’t get any time off. I’m getting quite old and there’s places I want to see. So I’m not doing this year’s."
The Bristol Post has learned that Dame Prue’s dear friend, Caroline Waldergrave, will be filling in for her on the celebrity edition of the show.
