Prue Leith Is Stepping Down From ‘Great British Bake Off’ — Here’s Who Could Replace Her

For nearly a decade, fans of the baking reality competition The Great British Bake Off have been able to rely on seeing one of the show's most colorful judges, Dame Prue Leith. Prue joined the series in 2017 after a celebrated career as a restauranteur and chef.

Due to how much fans adore the eclectic judge and her iconic glasses, many were shocked when she announced it was time to exit GBBO's tent. In January 2026, Prue shared via Instagram that she was leaving the series after nine seasons. Since then, another famous foodie has been rumored to be taking her spot.

Here's the scoop on Prue's possible Great British Bake Off replacement.

Prue's replacement was reportedly decided soon after she chose to step away from Bake Off. According to a report by The Sun, Nigella Lawson has been tapped to take over the reigns, as sources say she's in the final negotiations of joining fellow judge Paul Hollywood, recurring judge Noel Fielding, and host Alison Hammond, on the panel. The report also shared that Nigella has been in talks to replace Prue since at least 2024.

"Nigella’s recognized worldwide," the source said. "She's got the cheeky banter down to a tee, with all her work laden with the fun innuendos and naughty patter that are synonymous with Bake Off."

"Prue has been wonderful but Nigella will be a sure-fire hit," they added. "Contract discussions are in the final stages and, all being well, Nigella will be heating up the famous tent soon."

Nigella, who is also known as the "Domestic Goddess" in the food world, is a published food writer and cookbook author. She began her career as a journalist before transitioning into food writing. In 1998, she released her first book, How to Eat, and How to Be a Domestic Goddess in 2000. Nigella is also already a staple in the Channel 4 family.

In 1999, she hosted her first cooking show, Nigella Bites, which led to several more TV spots, including Nigella Feasts on Food Network and Nigella's Christmas Kitchen and Nigella Express on BBC. In addition to hosting, Nigella has judged several reality competitions, including her time as a guest judge on MasterChef Australia and a main judge on Australia's My Kitchen Rules.

As of this writing, Nigella hasn't addressed the rumors that she's joining the Great British Bake Off family. If she is joining the show, she likely has to wait for the eventual contract to clear before she makes any formal announcements.

Prue, who replaced former Bake Off judge Mary Berry in 2017, also hasn't said anything about her possible replacement. The longtime judge only addressed her exit and the team she worked with while announcing her departure on Instagram and extended well wishes to whoever filled her spot

"After nine series and judging more than 400 challenges, I have decided to step down as a judge on The Great British Bake Off," Prue captioned underneath photos of her with her castmates. "Bake Off has been a fabulous part of my life for the last nine years, I have genuinely loved it and I’m sure I’ll miss working with my fellow judge Paul, Alison and Noel and the teams at Love Productions and Channel 4."

"But now feels like the right time to step back (I’m 86 for goodness sake!)," she added. "There’s so much I’d like to do, not least spend summers enjoying my garden. Whoever joins the team, I’m sure they’ll love it as much as I have. I feel very lucky to have been part of it."

Stream Great British Bake Off on Netflix and watch new episodes on Channel 4 in the U.K.