Prue Leith didn’t think she’d get Bake Off job because she wasn’t ‘diverse’ enough-Alistair McGeorge-Entertainment – Metro

Dame Prue Leith was worried she wasn’t diverse enough for the Bake Off job (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Dame Prue Leith didn’t expect to land her Great British Bake Off job because she wasn’t ticking ‘all the diversity boxes’.

The 84-year-old star took over from Dame Mary Berry as judge alongside Paul Hollywood when the programme moved from BBC One to Channel 4 seven years ago.

Although she had ‘jumped’ at the possibility of working on the beloved baking show, she didn’t actually expect discussions to progress.

‘I just jumped at it. I had begun to think about it, once I knew Mary Berry was not going to go on. I thought, “Oh, I’d love that job”, but I dismissed the thought,’ she told the Sliding Doors podcast.

She expected bosses to go for ‘a young Asian chef or something’, and was surprised to land the role.

She added: ‘I thought, “They’ll get someone younger, someone more. . . probably a young Asian chef or something, that would tick all the diversity boxes and stuff”. But no, they chose me.’

She joined the show seven years ago alongside Paul Hollywood, Noel Fielding and then-judge Sandi Toksvig (Picture: Mark Bourdillon / Channel 4 Tele)

Despite doubts over whether she’d get picked, Prue was very aware that she had the right credentials for the job.

‘If you think about my past career, I’d had 11 years sitting at [BBC Two cooking contest] the Great British Menu as a judge and every plate has about ten tastes on it — it makes Bake Off look really simple,’ she admitted.

‘With cake, with one spoonful, you can get the icing, the filling and the crumb.

‘I knew all the top chefs, I had a Michelin restaurant of my own so I knew that level of cooking very well.’

Prue tried to get John Playfair to do as he was told (Picture: ITV/Yeti Television)

Meanwhile, Prue has recently admitted she had struggled to get her husband John Playfair to take directed while filming her new Costwold Kitchen show at their family home.

Appearing on ITV’s Lorraine, she said: ‘When we did the first show together John was not listening to what the director said, so I said to him “John, you see that girl? She is the director. The clue is in the name, she directs and you do what you’re told!”

‘He doesn’t take direction. I’ve given up on it, he does what he does. And you know what? It works.’

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