Nigella Lawson Reportedly Set to Replace Prue in ‘The Great British Bake Off'

Fans of The Great British Bake Off heard whispers in January of 2026 that English culinary personality Nigella Lawson would be taking over Prue Leith's position in the popular baking series. And while there are a lot of people excited about Nigella's possible new presence alongside Paul Hollywood, others are left wondering: Why did Prue leave?

Murmurs about Prue's departure began circulating the internet months before Nigella's announcement. TV Insider penned in a July 2025 article that touched on the speculation surrounding on the South African-British restaurateur parting ways with production.

For nine seasons of the staple series, along with various spin-offs, Prue's been a mainstay of the series. In an interview with U.K. talk show host Lorraine Kelly, Prue did intimate that she might be riding off into the sunset away from the bright lights of TV production.

"I haven't got much longer; I'm 85. I want to spend as much time as I can," Prue told the host, stating that she would like to have more time with her husband, John Playfair.

However, Prue did go on to state that her decision to have quality time with her significant other wasn't due to ennui with the show.

Nor did she say for sure that she intended to leave the program. In fact, the way she talked about her role on the series, Prue seemed to deflect any ideas that she'd make an exit from The Great British Bake Off. She largely attributed the rumors about her leaving the series to her deciding to participate in the filming of a Celebrity season.

"This is because I stopped doing celebrity, I don't do the Stand up to Cancer one anymore. I stopped doing that last year because I just hadn't had a holiday in the summer for eight years," she said during her discussion with Lorraine.

And in the same talk, Prue gushed about how much fun she has while filming the series, along with praise for her colleagues. "It's better than it's ever been, I think, it's really lovely. I think Alison has made a huge difference to the team; she's so funny."

However, it would soon turn out that Prue's ninth season would be her last. The Telegraph wrote in January of 2026 that Prue would be leaving the series in order "to spend more time 'enjoying' her garden," and that Nigella would take over co-hosting and judging duties.

And an unnamed source that The Sun said it spoke to remarked that the Cook, Eat, Repeat host's involvement with Bake Off is a welcome addition that showrunners are excited for. "Nigella's recognized worldwide. 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," they said.

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