Prue Leith, a longtime judge for the hit baking competition series "The Great British Baking Show," is leaving the tent.

The baking connoisseur, known among fans and competitors for her affinity for boozy sweets and vibrant fashion and accessory choices, announced her departure from the wholesome series on Wednesday morning. "Bake Off has been a fabulous part of my life for the last nine years," she wrote on Instagram, praising her co-judge celebrity chef Paul Hollywood and hosts Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding.

She continued: "But now feels like the right time to step back (I'm 86 for goodness sake!), there's so much I'd like to do, not least spend summers enjoying my garden."

Leith joined "The Great British Baking Show" (alternatively titled "The Great British Bake-Off" in the United Kingdom) in 2017, succeeding cookbook author Mary Berry. Berry had been a judge on the series since its debut in 2010 but exited when the series made the move from the BBC to Channel 4, a commercial broadcaster.

Since joining the series, Leith has sampled scores of competitors' signature bakes, judged technical baking challenges and marveled at numerous bakers' memorable confectionery showstoppers. Notably, she and Hollywood served as co-judges during series 11 of the show, which was filmed and aired amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before "The Great British Baking Show," Leith was a judge on BBC Two's cooking competition series "Great British Menu." Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Leith was appointed with damehood by Queen Elizabeth II in 2021.

"You're the best Prue," Hollywood captioned a photo of himself and Leith on the set of "Great British Baking Show" in rococo-style costumes.

Other members of the "Baking Show" community praised Leith in the comments section of her post. Rahul Mandal, a timid baker who won the series in 2018, wrote that Leith is "kind, funny, passionate and always inspired us." 2025 competitors including Aaron Mountford-Myles, Jessika Trassel and winner Jasmine Mitchell also celebrated Leith's tenure in the comments.

"You are a force of nature and an inspiration to the world," co-host Fielding captioned a handful of photos from their time on set. "A dazzle of colours and that wonderful smile."

"We will miss you so much Prue," Hammond said in an Instagram story.

"Great British Baking Show" will return for a new season later this year. Channel 4 confirmed that Leith's successor will be announced at a later date, according to the Guardian.

"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," Leith concluded her caption.

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