Prue Leith

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.

Lesley’s time in the Bake Off tent came to an end after a tough meringue-themed week saw her struggle to impress the judges and become the seventh contestant to leave the competition

Hairdresser Lesley has become the seventh baker to be eliminated from The Great British Bake Off after struggling during the show’s first-ever meringue-themed week.

In Tuesday night’s episode, the remaining contestants were faced with three demanding challenges designed to test their precision and patience.

For the signature bake, they were asked to create mini meringue tarts, followed by a classic yet notoriously tricky soufflé in the technical round.

Finally, the showstopper challenge required the bakers to produce a visually impressive meringue ice cream cake – a task that pushed even the most confident contestants to their limits.

Despite her best efforts, Lesley’s bakes failed to impress the judges, and she was told by co-host Alison Hammond that her time in the tent had come to an end.

READ MORE: Joe Swash admits huge ‘identity struggle’ after family tragedy leaves ‘big gulf’READ MORE: Mary Berry ‘still thinks about her son every day’ since his tragic death

Business development executive Toby, meanwhile, was named star baker by presenter Noel Fielding after delivering consistently strong results across all three challenges.

Lesley, 59, from Kent, admitted she had expected her departure. “Do you know what, I knew it was coming,” she said.

“It’s like ripping the plaster off! Thanks so much for the experience, it has been amazing. I couldn’t get my meringue right and had resigned myself to the fact I’d be going. But I’m proud that I made it to week seven. The other bakers gave me a massive cuddle, which meant the world.”

Judge Dame Prue Leith praised Lesley for her enthusiasm and warmth throughout the competition. “I’m really sorry to see Lesley go,” she said.

“She’s a remarkable woman and, in a way, she’s my ideal baker – she’s just really having a good time. That’s what Bake Off is all about.”

Following her exit, Lesley reflected on how much she had gained from her time in the famous tent. “I think I’ve grown as a person and feel more confident in myself and my abilities,” she said.

“I’ve learned new skills, trusted my gut feeling, and realised you need to step through fear and take yourself out of your comfort zone, that’s how you grow. I’ve had the time of my life.”

Having baked since the age of ten, Lesley said her highlight on the show was “winning the technical in chocolate week.”

Looking ahead, she hopes to open a small baking school, run a “cake shed” where people can buy homemade treats, and write a cookbook inspired by her late grandmother’s traditional recipes.

Lesley will appear on The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice with Jo Brand and Tom Allen on Friday, October 17, at 8pm on Channel 4.

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads.

READ MORE: Maura Higgins says affordable £10 root spray ‘saves her life’ and covers grey hairs

GREAT British Bake Off fans were left unimpressed by a ‘disgusting’ hygiene mistake – but did you spot it?

Viewers tuned in for episode three of the Channel 4 show’s ongoing series.

4

4

4

In this instalment, the amateur bakers were tasked with the Monkey Bread challenge.

As Alison Hammond, Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith chatted to the hopefuls, fans highlighted a hygiene mistake.

It involved contestant Nadia Mercuri, 41, who is a hairdresser from Liverpool.

Viewers spotted how Nadia touched her hair followed by the food she was preparing.

One wrote on X: “I really wanna just grab of all Nadia’s hair and tie it up properly!!”

Another added: “Stop touching your hair NADIA and then touching the food – disgusting!”

While a third said: “It really bugs me that these women are just letting their hair freely go over the food like that.”

Nadia ultimately advanced to the next episode – with bridal designer Carol “Pui Man” Li being eliminated.

It was recently revealed Bake Off was rejected for five years before arriving on our screens.

Back in 2010, the now-adored programme made its debut on BBC Two.

Co-creator Richard McKerrow recalled himself and Anna Beattie fighting for bosses to put their faith into the format.

Speaking at Edinburgh TV Festival, he shared: “We pitched Bake Off for four or five years.

“We were told it would be like watching paint dry, no one was interested.”

The Great British Bake Off made the move from the BBC to Channel 4 in 2017.

This decision saw judge Paul Hollywood being the only star to remain on board.

Fellow original judge Mary Berry as well as hosts Mel & Sue all opted to bow out.

Paul was joined by Prue Leith and new host Noel Fielding, with various co-hosts over the years.

The Great British Bake Off airs on Channel 4.

4

One contestant has already been sent home on this year’s Great British Bake Off as viewers didn’t think it came as a surprise following a few clues along the way

Great British Bake Off fans were convinced they knew who would be the first contestant to be sent off after spotting some telling clues. The hit Channel 4 baking competition made its long awaited comeback on Tuesday night.

Judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith welcomed 12 new bakers into the iconic tent for a fresh round of the competition. However, things didn’t get off on an easy start for Cake Week.

The judges ramped things up by withholding the instructions during the technical challenge and set the bakers a tough showstopper challenge before deciding who would be first out.

READ MORE: Great British Bake Off viewers warn of Ofcom complaints just minutes into seriesREAD MORE: Where The Great British Bake Off stars are now – OnlyFans career to Paul Hollywood feud

Before Prue and Paul revealed who would be going home already, some viewers were convinced they knew who it would be. One said: “I hear everyone saying Hassan has a chance but like he’s messed up 2 challenges whereas Iain has won one, unless Hassan does an amazing cake idk mannnnn.”

Another added: “Im not sure Hassan is surviving this week…” Someone else commented: “Ohhh Hassan. Poor guys caramel done him completely. Absolutely brutal.”

A fourth wrote: “If it ain’t Hassan, then Im sensing a first week ‘nobody is going’.” Sadly, it was Hassan that was sent packing after just the first episode.

After his exit, Hassan admitted: “I had a strong inkling I was out after the judging for my Showstopper, so when I heard my name, I thought ‘Damn, I guess that’s it for me then’.

“I remember Prue coming up to give us a big hug first, then turning left and having a huge queue of people lined up to give us a hug – the support from all of them felt reassuring to me and helped cheer me up a lot.”

Hassan said he would stick to his day job but continue to bake as a hobby. “In terms of my goals in the overall baking world, I don’t have any plans,” he said.

Revealing what fans can expect, host Alison teased: “You’ve got six men and six women from all over Britain. They’re all really exciting bakers. It’s not just about the baking for them. They’ve got families and really good jobs as well.”

While Prue added: “This year we had quite a lot of designers and engineers, and it showed in their baking. They were so much better at construction.”

“They just take it so seriously. It’s like a science to them, because that’s how they are within their work,” Alison continued. People are going to be blown away.

“There’s a few failures as well, as to be expected. It’s going to be so much fun. Paul’s on form, Prue’s on form, Noel is just so funny. It’s classic Bake Off. We say it every year but it’s a wonderful series.”

READ MORE: ‘Gorgeous’ New Look trench coat our fashion team thinks will be an autumn sell out

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.