New episodes of The Great British Baking Show premiere on September 25, 2026, on Netflix.
Judge Prue Leith announced her plans to leave the show; Nigella Lawson is replacing her.
Prue got candid about why she’s exiting the show and what she hopes to do next.
A new season of The Great British Baking Show is here—but Prue Leith is no longer on it.
The latest installment kicks off on September 25, 2026, on Netflix, and fans get to meet a whole new set of contestants vying for Star Baker. But the bakers aren’t the only new faces this time around. Judge Paul Hollywood and hosts Allison Hammond and Noel Fielding are welcoming famed chef Nigella Lawson into the tent in Prue’s place.
If you’re like us, you’re wondering why Prue Leith is not on The Great British Baking Show. Well, she actually spoke out about an important reason for her exit.
When Prue announced her plans to leave The Great British Baking Show in January 2026, she noted that she wanted to enjoy the summer without filming.
“After nine series and judging more than 400 challenges, I have decided to step down as a judge on The Great British Bake Off,” she wrote on Instagram at the time, referencing the show’s U.K. title. “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.”
Prue also said that she was excited to see who would take her place on the show.
“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.”
Prue told People she knows it will take time for viewers to adjust to her absence.
“Nigella has just been through exactly the same thing because I've stopped doing the Great British Bake Off and there were masses of, ‘Oh, Prue's leaving, it's the end of a show,’” she said back in May 2026. “I had exactly the same thing when Mary left, and I'm sure Nigella will when she leaves, and I'm sure it'll go on for another 100 years, and Paul will still be there.”
What’s more, the two were featured in the opening of the Cake Week episode, with Prue passing along the judging reins to Nigella.
“The changing of the guard 🫡,” the caption read on Instagram.
We’ll absolutely miss Prue on The Great British Baking Show, and we can’t wait to see what’s next!
