At the age of 83, Prue Leith has chosen to openly discuss the 13-year secret affair she had in her early 20s.
The clandestine relationship was with Rayne Kruger, who was both her mentor and the chairman of her company.
The revelation, initially made public in her 2012 autobiography Relish, provides an intimate look into The Great British Baking Show judge’s personal life.
Speaking candidly in an episode of Kate Thornton's podcast White Wine Question Time, Prue shed light on her complex relationship with Rayne.
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"I never asked Rayne to leave his wife because I was very happy," she shared.
"I was building my business. I had none of the duties of a wife, and I had all the pleasures of somebody who loved me."
At the time, Rayne was married to Nan Munro, a close friend of Prue's mother, adding an additional layer of complexity to the affair.
Prue, who was building a successful career under Rayne's mentorship, stated that they managed to keep their relationship a secret due to their discretion and the fact that their close relationship was not out of the ordinary.
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"Everybody knew that we were great friends and that he was my mentor because he was 20 years older than me," she explained on the podcast.
"We did have 13 secret years and nobody ever guessed because we were discreet."
The clandestine relationship with Rayne, however, could not last forever.
At the age of 34, Prue knew she wanted to become a mother, which seemed impossible with Rayne, who she thought would never leave his wife.
To her surprise, Rayne left his wife and made the bold declaration to Prue, "Come home. We'll have a baby. I can't live without you."
The couple then welcomed their son Danny in 1974, and later that same year, they were married.
During their union, they also adopted a daughter, Li-Da.
The couple spent 28 loving years together until Rayne's passing in 2002. A few years later, in 2016, Prue found love again and married John Playfair.
Prue, a highly respected figure in the culinary world, joined The Great British Baking Show as a judge during its eighth season in 2017, after having been a judge on Great British Menu for a remarkable 11 years.
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