Prue

The Great British Bake Off judges Dame Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood have opened up about their judging roles on the popular Channel 4 show and how they’re perceived by viewers

Prue Leith has leapt to the defence of her fellow judge, Paul Hollywood, over his so-called “horrible” image on The Great British Bake Off. Speaking from the iconic tent at Welford Park in Berkshire, the Bake Off judges shed light on their roles and how they’re seen by fans of the Channel 4 programme.

Prue, a South African-born restaurateur, pointed out that they’re perceived quite differently by the public, with her being seen as “kind” and Paul as “horrible”, but when it comes down to the brass tacks of scoring, they’re pretty similar.

The chef disclosed that their chat about the bakes in Cake Corner is generally to “inform and remind” the viewers, as, in reality, Prue and Paul could “do it in two seconds”.

Prue told Radio Times magazine: “The audience often say that I’m kind and Paul’s horrible, but if you look at our scores out of 10, we’re never more than one point apart. I think I’ve given one 10 in nine years… I can’t remember to who though!”.

She continued: “I used to say, ‘It’s not worth the calories’. That is my absolute judgment about any baking, because you know it’s full of fat and sugar, so: ‘Do I really want to eat this? Am I prepared to get fat?'”

However, it appears Prue had a change of heart regarding this particular remark, as people would say they “felt judged” for enjoying cake and thought she was being “fattist”.

Paul stated: “I’ve never given a 10, only a 9.5. A handshake is very close to a 10. These are amateur bakers, but if they get a handshake from me, it means it’s very professional.”

Prue added that Paul often claims he won’t be giving out any handshakes, but inevitably his hand will “come out” when a bake is so impressive that he “can’t resist”. She also mentioned the idea of her own version, the “Prue pat”.

In other developments, Paul, who has been on the show since 2010, reportedly showed a different side away from the cameras. Briony May Williams, who came fourth in the 2018 series, broke down in tears when “every element” of her showstopper went awry.

On the show, the chef labelled her creation “a disaster” as she “overcooked” the mirror glaze and was unfortunately left with uncooked pastry. However, Paul’s off-camera actions revealed a gentler side.

She disclosed: “I never got a [Paul Hollywood] handshake. I did, however, get a Hollywood hug off-camera when I was really upset about my cake on Cake Week, my showstopper, because it was really bad.

“I was upset, I was sat on my bench crying and I realised someone was stood behind me and I turned around and it was Paul.

“He gave me a really big hug and he said, ‘It’s okay it’s only a f*****g cake’. And yeah, that just really made me laugh.”

You can catch The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice on Channel 4 on Friday, October 24, from 8pm to 9pm.

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Prue and Paul Hollywood are in charge once again of deciding which cakes are up to scratch. And the restaurateur, broadcaster, cookery writer and novelist loves the idea of still being on the Channel 4 show in her Nineties.

“Why not? I mean, I’m asked this question all the time and I always say the same thing: ‘I’ve got to give up some time, but I’m loving it.’ I just enjoy it. I look forward to it. I mean, it’s a lovely job for goodness sake. It’s a wonderful job, so I love it, but I want to go before I’m pushed.

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“I don’t want some poor executive to have to come and say to me: ‘You know, Prue, I’m just wondering… you are 87 or something. Do you not think it’s time you just stepped down?’ I don’t want somebody to have to do that.

“And I shouldn’t say this, because they’ll cut my pay in half, but it’s such a piece of cake to do. It’s so easy. All I have to do is walk on, eat cake, walk off and get paid. What could be easier or nicer? And so it’s not an effort. Even at 5 o’clock in the morning, you don’t feel “Oh, I’ve got to go to work.” It’s not at all stressful. So I don’t think I’m conscious, at all, when we’re doing it, that we have to keep this show nice because

it’s somebody’s stress-free zone, it’s somebody’s therapy, it’s somebody’s quiet time when they can be with their family. It is all of those things, and I’m very glad it’s all of those things, but when we’re actually doing it, we’re just having a good time.”

Prue is now 85 but is often the last one standing when it comes to wrap parties on the Channel 4 series. Host Alison Hammond, who works alongside Noel Fielding added: “They say me and Noel are the naughty ones, but really and truly, it’s Paul and Prue. They’re the naughty ones. They’re the ones who are up late. We’re in bed by eight. Not together. Obviously.”

Bake Off returns next week for the 16th series. The new batch of 12 contestants features a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a drag king and two hairdressers hoping to make the cut.

Paul Hollywood believes the show, which moved from BBC1 to Channel 4 in 2017, should continue long beyond Prue and even his reign as judge. For him the show has proven itself and cemented a place on TV for the long haul.

He said: “There should be a Bake Off forever now. Obviously, not in the current line-up. We will all go. But I think it should stay. It is an institution. It’s a cult now. It’s found its feet. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t go on.”

Prue added: “Like Match of the Day or something. There are some shows that just go on. It’s been going for 16 years. And what happens is the bakers know the atmosphere before they come in and they sort of join the club and they know how to behave. Very seldom, once or twice, we’ve had somebody who comes in at the beginning, who’s a bit not on the vibe. Not this year, but I remember one woman particularly wanting to diss her rivals and that didn’t last. She got it. She changed.”

Turning to discuss the competition, Paul says there are slightly less Hollywood handshakes than usual but the standard is v high. “If I don’t give a handshake it is ‘Paul’s been stingy’ if I give out too many it is Paul is ‘devaluing them’” he explains.

“I think this is an exceptional year. I think the standard of the baking has been phenomenal. I was really shocked – it was unbelievable. Proper borderline-professional from the off. And the bakers all bonded really quickly as well. Straight out of the traps, there were a number of bakers that made me think ‘Wow, we’re in for a good year.’ And it is a really good year.

The new series also sees two new ‘themes’ with Meringue week and Back To School with lots of cake and custard presumably on the cards. But for all the themes and new challenges it is very much a show about the bakers themselves too.

Host Alison said: “People fall in love with the bakers. That’s the crux of it. It’s all about the bakers. We could be replaced at any moment, but the bakers are what’s driving the show.”

Paul added: “What changes is the bakers every year, but the bakers are the people who bring the character to the show and they have done. They are amazing bakers and really nice people.

“The standard of baking overall since series one has got better and better. That’s not to take anything away from the bakers in series one, they were of their time, but the baking has improved. The challenges are a little more tricky. But they’ve all risen to the challenge and created things that have been really incredible.”

* The Great British Bake Off starts next Tuesday September 2, stream or watch from 8pm on Channel 4.

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