Prue Leith says Nigella will be 'wonderful' on Bake Off as she confirms exit and school cooking drive

Prue Leith has praised Nigella Lawson as a fitting successor on the baking competition while confirming she announced her departure from the show last month. The long-running judge also outlined why she is stepping back, noted she will be 86 next week, and highlighted a new primary school cookery curriculum launched by her Leiths Education training service.

Prue Leith praises Nigella Lawson as successor

Prue Leith said her successor does not need advice and will bring a fresh perspective to the programme. When asked by a local radio station if she had any guidance for the new judge, she said the newcomer will be "wonderful, " is funny, knows her onions and is delightful. The broadcaster later revealed that Nigella Lawson will become the programme's fourth permanent judge, joining long-standing judge Paul Hollywood for the show's 17th series later this year.

Departure timing and reasoning

Prue Leith announced she was leaving the reality baking competition last month and said she would be leaving in January, adding that "now feels like the right time to step back. " She acknowledged that leaving was difficult because she enjoyed the role so much and believes she could have continued for several more years, but said she has many other projects she wants to pursue and that she is "getting on a bit, " noting she will be 86 next week. She added that she cannot keep enjoying herself eating cake all the time and wants to get on with other things.

How she joined and the show's recent shifts

Prue Leith was hired for the baking show after the series jumped from one broadcaster to another in 2016, replacing another Oxfordshire resident, Dame Mary Berry, who lives in Henley on Thames. That change in the programme's line-up and home preceded Leith's arrival as a permanent judge.

Leiths Education launches free primary cookery curriculum

Leiths Education has committed to teaching every primary-age child in Britain how to cook by launching a new free primary school curriculum. The scheme is designed to start with four-year-olds and continue through the primary years. The curriculum has already been trialled in nearly 50 schools, with 82% of children involved seeing their cooking skills improve enormously.

Prue Leith said that in her five to six decades of teaching cooking she has never met a child who did not enjoy a cookery lesson. She noted that very young children are curious, imaginative and eager to try things, framing the curriculum as a response to multiple generations missing out on regular cookery lessons in school.

What comes next for the show and for Prue Leith

With Nigella Lawson set to join the judging panel alongside Paul Hollywood for the 17th series later this year, the programme will enter its next run with a refreshed line-up. Prue Leith has signalled a deliberate move away from the show to concentrate on other projects, including the rollout of the Leiths Education curriculum. Her public comments convey both confidence in the incoming judge and a clear sense of personal priorities as she approaches her next year.

Recent updates indicate these developments are current and that details about the new series and the curriculum rollout may evolve.