The Great British Bake Off star Dame Prue Leith has made an incredibly surprising career announcement ahead of the filming of the hit show's upcoming series.
Having been a judge on the show since 2017, following the departure of Dame Mary Berry, Prue announced that this year's series of the popular Channel 4 show could be her last.
She told the Mail On Sunday: "I'm doing this year's Bake Off, and I don't know if this will be my last. I've got to stop some time, so I might stop next year. I thought I'd just see how I go this year, because I definitely feel a bit older this year than I did last year."
The 85-year-old continued: "Things like, getting out of a chair takes me longer than it used to. I don't like big steps without a handrail. None of these things worried me two years ago – I could run upstairs – and so I'm very keen to leave Bake Off before I'm asked to leave."
Prue concluded: "But, on the other hand, I really enjoy it." Either way, it seems like the restaurateur has a major decision to make.
The filming schedule for The Great British Bake Off, which is due to take place between April and June, involves long hours in the summer sun at Welford Park in Berkshire.
Prue is also a co-host of The Great American Baking Show, which had a celebrity special air earlier this month.
The 16th season of the beloved British baking competition will also see the return of her co-judge Paul Hollywood, 58, and presenters Alison Hammond, 50, and Noel Fielding, 51.
Though there had initially been doubts about Noel's return after he missed the filming of the second series of his comedy The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin due to health issues, he is currently set to appear in the next season of The Great British Bake Off.
© Channel 4Prue also recently stepped back from the celebrity specials of the hit show. In the upcoming series of The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer, she will be replaced by her longtime friend Caroline Waldegrave OBE.
Lady Waldegrave, 72, is the former co-owner and managing director of Leiths School and Food and Wine and is the wife of former Conservative politician, William Waldegrave. She has also co-written several cookery books, including Leiths Cookery Bible and Leiths Cooking for One or Two.
