‘What Maters With Liz’ Episode 13: Prue Leith Talks Love, Loss and Aging with Joy
Prue Leith, 86, reveals why she left 'The Great British Baking Show'—and what's coming next
Key Takeaways
- Prue Leith is leaving 'The Great British Baking Show' to pursue the life she's been wanting.
- Leith says the greatest sin is boredom — and that you'll only be happy if you stay curious.
- Her simple recipe for living well at any age is to eat well, sleep well and love well.
After nine seasons of The Great British Baking Show (known as The Great British Bake Off in the UK), Prue Leith is stepping away from the beloved series. On this episode of What Matters with Liz, Leith reveals her first impression of Paul Hollywood, her favorite moments on set, and the real reason she’s leaving a TV show watched by millions.
“I’m running out of time. I haven’t very many years left—certainly not decades. So things I’ve always thought, ‘I’ll do that one day,’ I better damn well do them now,” Leith says.
At 86, Leith isn’t slowing down—she’s changing direction. The celebrated chef, writer and restaurateur wants more: more travel, more time with family and more freedom to create the projects she’s most passionate about.
In her new book Being Old… and Learning to Love It, Leith explores the realities and taboos of aging, along with its unexpected joys. She opens up about grief, falling in love again in her 70s and what it means to live boldly at every stage of life.
Watch What Matters with Liz Episode 13 here or listen on Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Podcasts.
Watch Episode 13 right here! ‘What Matters with Prue Leith: Being Old, Staying Curious & Loving Life’
In this episode, Prue Leith shares:
- Behind-the-scenes stories from The Great British Baking Show
- The real reason she’s leaving the show
- Her advice to Nigella Lawson
- A tour of her Cotswolds kitchen
- Her biggest career failure—and the lesson it taught her
- Her secret to living with energy and enthusiasm at any age
- How she grieved the loss of her first husband and found love again
- The question you should never ask a widow
- What it’s like to fall in love in your 70s
- Her advice for living boldly and joyfully
- Her one regret
- Why she believes the greatest sin is boredom
- The places she still wants to visit
- Why she loves color
- How women can embrace fashion in their later years
- Which of her books is her favorite—and which one could become a movie
- What she’s most excited about in her next chapter
The lessons of a long, full life
Leith doesn’t shy away from the harder chapters. She speaks openly about her biggest career failure and the lesson it taught her—a reminder that even the most accomplished lives are built on setbacks as much as successes. She also reflects on her one regret, a rare moment of vulnerability from a woman known for her confidence.
Throughout the conversation, she returns to a theme that animates everything she does: the importance of staying engaged with the world.
“The greatest sin is boredom,” she says. And: “You’ll only be happy if you’re curious.”
It’s a conviction that has clearly guided her choices—and it’s one worth tucking away for ourselves.
A simple recipe for living well
Asked what she’s most excited about in this next chapter, Leith returns to a beautifully simple framework. Her advice for living boldly and joyfully comes down to a few essentials, captured in a line that feels like both a recipe and a philosophy:
“Eat well, sleep well and love well.”
Those are things we can all strive for—at any age. And if Prue Leith’s example is any guide, the best chapters of our lives may very well be the ones still ahead.
What Matters with Liz airs every Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Podcasts, with highlights and behind-the-scenes clips shared on Instagram and Facebook.
Also, be sure to subscribe to the What Matters With Liz free newsletter from Woman’s World Editor-in-Chief Liz Vaccariello. Every week, you’ll get real talk about health, money and entertainment, plus uplifting stories, practical tips and exclusive updates on Vaccariello’s new video podcast.
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
