Prue Leith's Bake Off absence explained as real reason for exit revealed

As Celebrity Great British Bake Off hits our screen this weekend, viewers will be wondering why Prue Leith isn’t judging the contestants alongside Paul Hollywood like usual. The first episode of this year’s Stand Up To Cancer special will air on Sunday 16th and will include a host of stars such as presenters Amelia Dimoldenberg and Kate Garraway , as well as actor Jim Howick and comedian Adam Buxton. Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond will be returning to host the show, and Paul will be ready to offer his signature handshake to the celebrity bakers.

However, Prue will not be in the tent this year. Last year, it was revealed that Prue, 84, had chosen to focus on the regular series and would therefore be stepping away from the special editions of Bake Off. She will be replaced by Caroline Waldegrave OBE - one of her close friends.



She confirmed in an interview with This Morning last year that she would not be leaving the show for good, but simply found it difficult to keep up with the challenging schedule and would therefore be stepping away from hosting the celebrity version. 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.” In an episode of Loose Women at the start of the year, Prue said “old age stinks”. "It takes me 10 minutes to get myself out of bed in the morning.

If I don't do the exercises I can't move. There's all sorts of things that are wrong with old age,” she explained. Caroline, also known as Lady Waldegrave of North Hill, will be taking over from Prue.

She is a managing director of Leiths School of Food and Wine, which she co-founded with Prue, and has co-written a range of cookery books such as Leiths Cookery Bible and Leiths Seasonal Bible. Speaking of taking over from Prue on this season, Caroline said she was "completely terrified". “Then, when I turned up, I went to the shepherd’s hut I was allotted and there were banners outside saying ‘Welcome!’ and flowers," she said.

Prue advised her to say what she thought and to "be brave" and Caroline explained: "She is brave and says what she thinks and I think I got braver.” During this season of celebrity Bake Off , contestants will make classic scones, an old-school favourite, and a cake that symbolises their career highlight. Also competing in this series are Sarah Beeny, Scarlette and Stuart Douglas, Ellie Goldstein, Gloria Hunniford OBE, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Roman Kemp, Jamali Maddix, Maxine Peake, Chris and Rosie Ramsey, Self Esteem, Meera Syal, Tommy Tiernan, Phil Way and Sophie Willan.

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