'My diet during Bake Off is cake and alcohol!'

Dame Prue Leith on the popular baking contest

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Prue Leith's zest for life is unmatched. A character as colourful as the glasses she wears, at 84, she shows no signs of slowing down.

One of the UK's most trusted authorities when it comes to all things culinary, Prue is a renowned restaurateur, caterer, food writer, novelist, businesswoman, broadcaster and, of course, judge on The Great British Bake Off, as well as its US counterpart, The Great American Baking Show. So, how does she juggle it all?

'My main problem is I have a lot of energy and I can't say no,' she admits. Prue adds, 'It's wonderful that people still want to employ me and people are still interested in me. But what I'm most pleased about is that I still have the energy and enthusiasm to do it all.' The star explains, 'For me, the worst words in the world are, "It's so boring." Curiosity is the key to life.'

Every year the chef leaves her Cotswold retreat for several weeks to film Bake Off, the Channel 4 show that has seen her fame skyrocket in recent years.