Caroline Waldegrave joins Paul Hollywood, Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding in The Great Celebrity Bake Off. Making her debut in Channel 4's Stand Up to Cancer special, Caroline – also known as Lady Waldegrave of North Hill – happens to be a close friend of Prue Leith, and she's currently filling in for the beloved judge.
"Caroline is perfect! The kindest and most knowledgeable teacher. The bakers and viewers will love her," raved Prue. As Caroline continues to mix things up in the tent, we're taking a closer look at her culinary background and sweet life away from the cameras. Get to know the showstopper below.
Caroline's baking background
When The Great British Bake Off announced that Caroline had joined the series, fans got an introduction to the OBE recipient on Instagram.
"Caroline is a former co-owner and managing director of Leiths School of Food and Wine and a longtime friend of Prue's – her taste buds are some of the best in the bizz!" explained the caption.
Reflecting on her decision to join Bake Off, Caroline admitted to Channel 4 that she was initially "terrified" to appear but was made to feel welcome. "Everyone from the runners to Paul was just so kind and so friendly that I did relax," the 72-year-old said.
"As a viewer, I've loved seeing people bake, but – more than that – I loved seeing a competition with such kindness.
"Baking is something people can do," she continued. "With cooking, in terms of making a delicious stew, for example, you can do it using intuition. With baking, you've got to follow the recipe and be very accurate. If you can do that, you can manage it. I've got my own little cookery school and we talk about Bake Off the whole time. We all love it."
Caroline's current place of work is the Dudwell School, which is located on the site of the Waldegrave family home, Dudwell Field Farm, which she shares with her husband, William Waldegrave, Baron Waldegrave of North Hill.
Life away from the cameras
Caroline shares four children – Katie, Liza, Jamie and Harriet – with her husband, who is a British Conservative Party politician and former Cabinet minister.
© ShutterstockWhen she's not working, Caroline loves to post pictures of her delicious bakes on social media.
Why is Caroline filling in for Prue?
While fans have welcomed Caroline with open arms, you might be wondering why Prue is absent from the celebrity special. As it turns out, the presenter has reduced her filming schedule so she can have some well-deserved time off. "It's mainly because these things are filmed back to back," Prue noted.
© Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock"The whole way through the summer, so you start in April and you end at the end of August. Honestly, you get no time off. And, I'm getting a bit old, and there's places I want to go."
