Prue Leith says she finds it 'doesn't have long left' and 'thinks about death a lot' after quitting Great British Bake Off

Prue Leith has said she finds it 'quite comforting she doesn't have long left and thinks about death a lot' in a new interview on Friday.

The former Great British Bake Off host, 86, who announced she would be stepping down from the Channel 4 competition last month, shared her thoughts on retirement. 

Prue said that she has 'always loved to work' and although she has since signed up to front a new travelogue after leaving the show, she hopes to spend more time 'enjoying the rest of her life.'

Speaking in a new interview, she said: 'I think about death a lot. I look ahead and see death. Funnily enough I think it’s something that old people do.

'It’s a vast old age and I’m quite astonished to be there. People think of old age as such a tragedy. But, honestly, for a lot of people it’s just like the rest of life.'

Prue added that she believes AI or war 'will see us off' but is quite happy to 'let them carry on' as she won't be here to see it. 

She told The Mirror: 'It’s quite comforting - I won't have to worry about that. I don’t have long left. Ten years if I’m lucky. I need to use them well.' 

 It has already been revealed where Prue, will be heading next - after jetting off to her native South Africa to film a brand new travelogue. 

The TV chef announced she was waving goodbye to Bake Off last month, spurred on by 'a desire to work less and play more' in her career. 

She will be joined by a very familiar face to the Bake Off brand on the new venture, former show host Sandi Toksvig, who left the programme in 2020 after three years. 

An insider revealed to The Sun: 'The two women cemented their friendship during the years on Bake Off.

'Although Sandi left the tent six years ago, they’ve remained close pals and long talked about doing more telly work together.

'Prue’s departure from Bake Off gave her more free time to explore other work she had to keep on the back burner.'

QI presenter Sandi, who hosted Bake Off with Noel Fielding from 2017, handed over the reins to Matt Lucas, who left the show in 2022, replaced by Alison Hammond.

Since leaving the series, Prue hasn't wasted any time - as it's thought the new travel series has already finished filming, and will air later this year on Channel 4. 

It's likely to hit screens around the same time as the upcoming 17th series of The Great British Bake Off in August, with Nigella Lawson stepping in to judge alongside Paul Hollywood after Prue's departure. 

Nigella, 66, was confirmed to be taking her place, and will join co-judge Paul when the new series begins filming in April ahead of airing later this year.

Last week, Prue explained why she decided to step down from the Channel 4 show, admitting she had been debating it for a while, but decided to pull the trigger because she wants the chance to work more in the winter months and 'play in the summer'.

Speaking to The Spectator, she said: 'I have been dithering for years about when to stop judging The Great British Bake Off. 

'When I joined nine years ago, I thought, since I was in my mid-seventies, that I'd be lucky to manage two years. 

'At that age, my mother was deaf as a post and away with the fairies, believing her son was her father and that her cat was the one she'd had 40 years before. 

'But my marbles stayed more or less in place and there seemed no good reason to give up a job I loved. 

'Finally, though, the desire to work less and play more got to me. Bake Off and its offshoots such as The Great American Baking Show and even the Christmas specials are all filmed in the summer, which has meant I could never have a summer holiday.'