Prue Leith

Prue Leith Headshot

Restaurateur • Chef • Songwriter • Personality • Host

Birth Name: Prudence Margaret Leith

Birth Date: February 18, 1940

Age: 84 years old

Birth Place: South Africa

Prue Leith is a British-South African restaurateur, chef, caterer, TV presenter, journalist, and novelist who has enjoyed a wildly accomplished career in the world of cooking, from opening a Michelin-starred restaurant, to starting two highly accredited culinary schools, from publishing a number of best-selling cookbooks and novels, to finally becoming a judge on one of the most popular cooking competition shows of all time. Born on February 18, 1940 in Cape Town, South Africa, Leith was the only daughter of Sam Leith, an executive for a company that produced dynamite for mining operations, and Margaret 'Peggy' Inglis, South Africa's most famous actress in that day and age.

She attended St. Mary's School, Waverley, a very exclusive English boarding school in Johannesburg run by Anglican nuns, before moving on to Capetown University. While at college, Leith struggled to figure out what she wanted to do with her life, switching her major multiple times, from drama to fine art to architecture and finally to French. Her interest in the latter subject led her to study at the Sorbonne in Paris, where she realized her real passion lie in the culinary arts.

In 1960, Leith began classes at the Cordon Bleu Cookery School in London, before starting a party and event catering company. This would soon grow into her first business venture, Leith's Good Food, and she soon became renowned for supplying business lunches to London's upper crust. Before long, Leith wanted a place to call her own, so in 1969, in the posh Notting Hill neighborhood of London, she opened her first restaurant, Leith's. It was a resounding success, earning Michelin stars, rave reviews, and turning her into a genuine foodie phenomenon in the UK.

She was an in demand food columnist, reviewing restaurants and opining on culinary trends for the likes of the Daily Mail, the Sunday Express, the Guardian, and the Daily Mirror. In 1974, she married author Rayne Krueger; they would go on to adopt a daughter, Li-Do, from Cambodia, and later give birth to a son, Danny. The next year, Leith founded Leith's School of Food and Wine, providing training for professional chefs and aspiring cooks alike. Leith also developed a passion for writing, and would go on to publish several novels.

In 1991, Leith published her most famous cookbook, "Leith's Cookery Bible." The early nineties would come to represent a period of change for Leith: in 1993, she sold Leith's School of Food and Wine, having turned a profit of £15m. Two years later, just as she was returning to South Africa to open a new culinary school, the Prue Leith Chef's Academy, she sold Leith's, her first restaurant, to a group of investors. The early 2000s would prove to be a trying time: in 2002, her husband Rayne Kruger passed away at the age of 80. The pair had been married for 28 years.

Leith largely avoided the spotlight during this time, until she became a judge on the competition show "The Great British Menu" (BBC Two, 2006), a gig she would hold on to for nearly eleven years. In 2012, Leith published her memoir, "Relish." Then, in 2016, at the age of 76, Leith had one of her biggest years ever: she surprised her fans by getting remarried, tying the knot with fashion designer John Playfair. Then, it was announced that Leith would be taking over for fellow culinary titan Mary Berry as judge on one of the biggest cooking competition shows in the world, "The Great British Bake Off" (BBC One/Channel Four, 2010-), when the show made its controversial move from BBC One to Channel Four. In addition to her TV hosting gig, she was installed as Chancellor of Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, in July of 2017.

Credits

Prue Leith's Cotswold Kitchen

Host
Show
2024

Lost Temples of Cambodia

Narrator
Show
2024

The Great American Baking ShowStream

Judge
Reality
2023

Live with Kelly and MarkStream

Guest
Talk
2023

Prue and Danny's Death Road Trip

Host
Show
2023

The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Holiday

Judge
Special
2022

Access Daily With Mario & Kit

Guest
Show
2022

Katie Piper's Breakfast Show

Guest
Show
2022

Prue's Great Garden Plot

Self
Show
2021

Blankety Blank

Guest
Show
2021

Cook Clever, Waste Less with Prue and Rupy

Host
Show
2021

Extraordinary Escapes with Sandi Toksvig

Guest
Show
2021

Britain's Favourite Novel

Guest
Show
2020

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Celebrity Specials

Contestant
Show
2020

Between the Covers

Guest
Show
2020

Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh

Guest
Show
2020

Grayson's Art Club

Guest
Show
2020

Prue Leith: Journey with My Daughter

Host
Show
2020

The Steph Show

Guest
Show
2020

Living on the Veg

Guest
Show
2020

Access Daily

Guest
Show
2019

My Greatest Dishes

Actor
Show
2019

The Sara Cox Show

Guest
Show
2019

Today With Hoda & Jenna

Guest
Show
2019

Joe Lycett's Got Your Back

Guest
Show
2019

Best Christmas Ever with Alexander Armstrong

Guest
Show
2018

The Great British Baking Show: Holidays

Judge
Show
2018

Stand up to Cancer 2018

Actor
Show
2018

The Great Celebrity Bake Off: Stand Up To Cancer

Host
Show
2018

The Great Celebrity Bake Off: Stand Up To Cancer

Judge
Show
2018

The Cook Who Changed Our Lives

Guest
Show
2016

My Kitchen Rules UK

Judge
Show
2016

The Box

Guest
Show
2015

The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice

Guest
Show
2014

The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice

Judge
Show
2014

Good Morning Britain

Guest
Show
2014

My Kitchen Rules

Judge
Show
2014

Sunday Brunch

Guest
Show
2011

Junior Baking ShowStream

Judge
Reality
2011

The Jonathan Ross ShowStream

Guest
Talk
2011

QI XL

Guest
Show
2011

Pointless Celebrities

Contestant
Show
2010

Lorraine

Self
Show
2010

Saturday Kitchen Live

Guest
Show
2010

The Great British Bake OffStream

Host
Reality
2010
87%

The Great British Bake OffStream

Judge
Reality
2010
87%

Watch What Happens Live With Andy CohenStream

Guest
Talk
2009

Stuffed: The Great British Christmas Dinner

Actor
Show
2007

Would I Lie to You?Stream

Contestant
Game Show
2007

The One Show

Guest
Show
2006

Great British Menu

Judge
Show
2006

QIStream

Guest
Game Show
2003

Loose Women

Guest
Show
2002

Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway

Guest
Show
2002

Countdown

Guest
Show
2002

Desert Island Discs

Guest
Show
2001

This Morning

Guest
Show
1988

Good Morning America

Guest
News
1975

News aboutPrue Leith

Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith on GBBO
Spoiler Alert

‘The Great British Baking Show’ Contestant Speaks Out After Jaw-Dropping Dessert Week Elimination

Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood

‘Great British Baking Show’ Star Paul Hollywood Admits Prue Leith’s Rude Jokes Make Him Walk Off Set

Giuseppe Dell'Anno, Nadiya Hussain and Candice Brown

‘The Great British Baking Show’ Boss Teases First Ever ‘All-Star’ Season With Past Winners

Noel Fielding on GBBO
Spoiler Alert

‘The Great British Baking Show’: Noel Fielding ‘Upset’ After Shock Elimination

Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith

‘The Great British Baking Show’: Prue Leith Reacts After ‘Pastry Week’ Drama

prue-leith-queen-elizabeth

‘Great British Baking Show’ Star Prue Leith Recalls Making ‘Bad’ Tea For Queen Elizabeth (VIDEO)

Great British Bake Off Dylan

‘Great British Baking Show’: 6 Things To Know About Fan Favorite Dylan Bachelet

The cast of 'The Great British Baking Show' Season 15

‘The Great British Baking Show’: Meet the Bakers of Season 15 (PHOTOS)

The Great British Bake Off

‘The Great British Bake Off’ Season 14 Crowns Underdog Winner

Keith, Saku, Tasha, Josh, Matty, Cristy, Dana, Amos, Dan, Rowan, Abbi, Nicky (behind). Noel, Prue, Paul, Allison (in front).

‘Great British Baking Show’: Highs & Lows of Season 12

Paul Hollywood on The Great British Baking SHow

See Paul Hollywood’s Shocked Reaction to Sour Apple Pie on ‘The Great British Baking Show’ (VIDEO)

Prue Leith, Noel Fielding, Alison Hammond, and Paul Hollywood for 'The Great British Baking Show'

‘Great British Baking Show’: When It Returns, Who Is Hosting & More

Prue Leith, Paul Hollywood-'The Great American Baking Show'
Preview

Prue Leith on Why She Traveled Stateside for ‘The Great American Baking Show’

The Great American Baking Show - Paul Hollywood, Ellie Kemper, Prue Leith, Zach Cherry

‘The Great American Baking Show’: Paul Hollywood & Prue Leith Seek Burger Perfection in New Trailer (VIDEO)

Alison Hammond and Matt Lucas

‘The Great British Baking Show’ Names Alison Hammond as Matt Lucas’ Replacement

The Great British Baking Show - Season 10 - Noel Fielding, Prue Leith, Paul Hollywood, Matt Lucas

‘The Great British Baking Show’ Sets Season 10 Premiere at Netflix

Paul Hollywood, Ellie Kemper, Prue Lieth, and Zach Cherry in 'Great American Baking Show'

‘The Great American Baking Show’: Ellie Kemper & Zach Cherry to Host US Series