What Matters with Prue Leith: Being Old, Staying Curious & Loving Life

“You’ll only be happy if you’re curious.” — Prue Leith

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, she 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,” she says.

At 86, Prue 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 book Being Old and Learning to Love It, Prue explores the realities and taboos of aging, along with its unexpected joys. She opens up about grief, falling in love again, and what it means to live boldly at every stage of life.

In this episode, Prue 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

With refreshing honesty, Prue reminds us that the secret to a beautiful life isn’t complicated:

“Eat well, sleep well, and love well.”

And those are things we can all strive for.

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For recipes, books, and more from Prue, visit: https://prue-leith.com/

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