Prue Leith has reportedly decided to take a breather from The Great British Bake Off
The 84-year old star has been a judge for the past seven years on the Channel 4 show alongside Paul Hollywood. It’s been suggested she won’t make an appearance on the celebrity spin-off of GBBO this summer.
Despite being a regular fixture alongside Paul on the baking show, Prue’s “other commitments” are preventing her from participating in the celebrity series. She has, however, completed filming for the regular Bake Off season to be broadcasted later this year, according to reports.
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An insider reported: “Prue absolutely loves working on Bake Off but filming two series a year can be punishing on top of her other commitments.” They continued: “She has already filmed the normal series, which will air this year but she will not appear on the celebrity version.”
(Image: Mark Bourdillon)
Luckily for fans, Prue is not planning a complete departure as she remains deeply fond of the show. Speaking to the Sun, the source elaborated: “Prue has made it clear she adores the show and would like to come back in 2025. She will turn 85 next year, so it’s not surprising that she wants to take time off.” Daily Star has reached out to Channel 4 for a comment.
Prue echoed similar sentiments, meanwhile, as reported by OK! “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,” she explained.
(Image: PA)
Now, GBBO bosses are believed to be on the hunt for a new star to fill Prue shoes ahead of the celebrity series, with 64-year old beauty Nigella Lawson tipped as a top choice to join the team this summer. Elsewhere in the world of Bake Off, the show could be set to move to a new home once its existing deal with Channel 4 ends.
There’s talk that streaming giants like Netflix and Disney+ could be willing to pay up to £100 million to get their hands on the production, owing to the fact it has fans all over the world. Love Productions, who make the show, are said to be mulling over offers from the alternative broadcast options.
(Image: Getty)
A source explained: “Having two huge corporations enter the race has hugely inflated the value of the show, which is already sought-after due to its global appeal. Streamers are also looking to combine their model with shows that air at the same time and day each week.”
“Netflix is already doing this with WWE wrestling and Disney+ recently bought the US version of Strictly. The talk is they’re both looking to do the same with a big British show.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
