Prue Leith Leaves Great British Bake Off After 9 Years as Judge

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The Great British Bake Off is preparing for a new recipe.

Prue Leith, a judge on the show alongside Paul Hollywood since 2017 when it moved to Channel 4, has announced she’s leaving after nine seasons. During her time on the show, she evaluated over 400 baking challenges.

In a recent Instagram post on January 21st, Prue Leith shared that Bake Off has been a wonderful experience for her, but she’s decided it’s time to leave. She said she’ll miss working with Paul Hollywood and hosts Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding, but at 86, she’s eager to pursue other passions, including spending more time enjoying her garden.

Prue, who previously took over from Mary Berry, is confident the show will continue to be delightful no matter who joins Paul as a judge.

She finished by saying she was confident anyone joining the team would enjoy it as much as she did, and that she felt fortunate to have been a part of it.

Immediately after Prue shared her news, her online comments section overflowed with supportive messages from bakers who had been on the show, and Noel wrote a heartfelt farewell message as well.

He shared on Instagram, ‘When everything felt like it was falling apart, Prue was the only one who could help me.’ He added that he never imagined he’d meet – or lose – someone like her, referencing his experience on Bake Off.

The host shared a collection of photos, including a selfie of himself dressed as Prue Leith – complete with her bright clothing and distinctive glasses – and many behind-the-scenes pictures from the show taken over the years.

Noel shared, “You brought so much life and joy to everyone around you, and you inspired so many.” He fondly remembered your bright personality, infectious smile, and all the laughter you shared, adding that your energy and charisma will be deeply missed.

As for Paul? He summed it up in his own tribute with a simple, “You’re the best Prue!”

As a lifestyle expert, I know change is inevitable, and while many are understandably sad to see Prue leave, this wasn’t a sudden decision. She actually talked about finding the right time to step down before now, so it was something she’d clearly given a lot of thought to.

In a 2024 interview with TopMob News, she stated she wants to leave on her own terms. She knows she can’t continue indefinitely, but as long as she’s having fun and the shows – The Great American Baking Show and The Great British Bake Off – are willing to have her, she’s happy to continue. “I want to go before I’m pushed,” she explained.

She explained that she wanted to leave before anyone suggested it was time for her to go, after nine years of service.

Although Prue Leith has been a vital part of The Great British Bake Off for ten years, she’s not the only well-known personality to voluntarily leave a successful TV show. Here’s more about other similar situations.

Jenna Lyons has confirmed she won’t be back for season 16 of The Real Housewives of New York City.

Confirming the speculation, the former J. Crew Creative Director announced on Instagram on November 21st that she would be joining season 16 of RHONY as a ‘friend of.’ She explained that because she wasn’t comfortable sharing her personal life on camera, they agreed this role was a good fit.

The fashion icon, who started on the Bravo show in 2022 for its fourteenth season, realized she didn’t want to be just a supporting player.

After careful consideration, I’ve decided not to return to the show,” she said. “I’d be the oldest and only openly gay woman participating, and I think it’s a good time to allow for some fresh perspectives and a new energy to come in.

Fans were surprised in 2025 to learn that Mehcad Brooks was leaving his role on the NBC crime show before the start of its 25th season.

Brooks, who joined the show in 2022, portrayed Detective Jalen Shaw for three seasons.

After nine seasons, the A-list realtor is done selling mega-mansions on the Netflix reality show.

In November, Chrishell shared on social media that she’s no longer relying on the show for income. She explained that she’s fortunate to have other work and that continuing with the show was negatively affecting her well-being.

Okay, so, I’m devastated to share that Jax Taylor won’t be on Season 3 of The Valley! Honestly, I was worried after how he acted last season – everyone was talking about it, and it was getting a little intense. I’m sad to see him go, but maybe it’s for the best? I just hope the show isn’t the same without him, even if he did cause a lot of drama!

In July 2025, the Bravo star, who is going through a difficult divorce with Brittany Cartwright, explained that he’s currently prioritizing his recovery, well-being, and raising their son, Cruz. He feels this time is essential for personal growth, particularly to be the best father he can be.

Several cast members from Saturday Night Live recently announced they won’t be back for the show’s 51st season, with the news coming within just a few days of each other.

Longfellow and Walker each spent three seasons on SNL while Wakim exited after just one season.

Following the departures of Longfellow, Walker, and Wakim from Saturday Night Live, two more popular cast members, Gardner and Nwodim, announced they wouldn’t be back for the show’s 51st season. Gardner had been with the show for eight seasons, and Nwodim for seven.

Sofia Mattsson finished her role on the long-running soap opera in the summer of 2025 after seven years as Sasha Gilmore. Her character moved to Paris as part of the storyline.

Tracy Ifeachor, who starred in the popular HBO Max series The Pitt, decided to leave after its successful first season.

The actress shared on Instagram on July 10th how honored she was to play Dr. Heather Collins in the show’s impactful first season. She also expressed gratitude to viewers for their support and for sharing their personal stories with her.

Even though fans likely expected Joel Miller, played by Pedro Pascal, to die – his fate closely mirrored the events of The Last of Us Part II, the video game the second season of The Last of Us is based on – the shocking way his character was killed still came as a surprise.

Pascal, known for also being killed off in shows like Game of Thrones and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, wasn’t too upset about his character’s fate. He joked to Entertainment Weekly, “I get killed a lot—I actually enjoy it!”

Following what he called a “wild adventure,” Peter Krause finished his run as Captain Bobby Nash on the drama 9-1-1 in an episode that aired in April 2025.

According to a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, the character Bobby Nash was intentionally created to be a heroic sacrifice. Creator Dick Wolf felt it fitting, as first responders routinely put themselves in danger to save others, and the storyline was meant to pay tribute to their bravery.

Showrunner Tim Minear told Variety that the decision to kill off a popular, yet troubled, firefighter was a difficult one. However, after eight seasons, he felt it was necessary to raise the stakes for future storylines. “If we want the show to feel genuinely dangerous,” he explained, “someone has to die.”

Summer just got a little less fun.

In June 2025, Paige DeSorbo revealed she was leaving the Bravo series after being on the show for seven seasons.

“You’ve seen me grow up over these last 7 summers. I’ll always be grateful for the memories, the community, and the opportunities this wild ride has brought me,” the Giggly Squad podcast cohost shared with fans on Instagram. “But like all good things (and some bad decisions), it’s time for this chapter to close.”

The popular Netflix show will not feature the French actress in its fifth season, which is set to release in April 2025.

In an Instagram post on April 23rd, the actress announced she’s leaving Emily in Paris. She shared photos with her former co-stars and described her time on the show as a fantastic experience full of growth, creativity, and cherished memories.

Before the third season of The Sex Lives of College Girls begins, Reneé Rapp has announced she’s leaving the show.

She shared on social media in July 2023 that the show College Girls brought her to Los Angeles and connected her with many of her closest friends. She added that after two and a half years, it’s also given her a wonderful community of fans like you.

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As a huge fan, I was really disappointed to hear Kevin Costner officially confirm in June 2024 that he won’t be back for the last season of the show. There had been rumors for over a year that he’d unexpectedly left after four and a half seasons, but it’s still sad to know we won’t see his character finish the story.

In February 2023, Ellen Pompeo finished her run as the main character, Meredith Grey, on the ABC drama after 19 seasons.

Pompeo said on The Drew Barrymore Show in December 2022 that she needed to try new things. Despite already returning for a guest spot in May and continuing to narrate the show, she felt her brain was getting stale at age 53. She explained that you can’t keep doing the same thing every day, like the New York Times crossword puzzle.

But she’s not gone for good. Pompeo still pops in and out of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

Henry Cavill, known for playing Superman and Batman, has announced he’s leaving the Netflix series The Witcher after its third season. Liam Hemsworth will take over the role of Geralt starting with season four and likely in future seasons as well.

In an October 2022 Instagram post, Henry Cavill announced that his time playing Geralt of Rivia was coming to an end. He said he would be stepping away from the role for Season 4, putting down his medallion and swords.

Jesse Lee Soffer, an original cast member, left the show in 2022 after playing Detective Jay Halstead for ten seasons.

Everyone involved with the show has poured their heart and soul into making each week’s episode, and it’s been a rewarding experience,” said Jesse Soffer after his last appearance on the October 5th episode of the NBC series. “I’m incredibly proud of my time playing Detective Jay Halstead.

After five seasons, Damian Lewis departed Showtime’s Billions in Oct. 2021.

In August 2021, Emily VanCamp left the TV show The Resident on Fox, meaning she would no longer be playing her role as a doctor.

Madeleine Mantock, who played Macy on the CW’s Charmed reboot, decided to leave the show after three seasons. She announced her departure in 2021 before season four began, calling the role a wonderful opportunity and expressing her appreciation for the show’s producers, writers, cast, and crew.

Elizabeth Keen will never learn the truth about Raymond Reddington. Actress Megan Boone decided to leave The Blacklist after season eight, and her character was killed off before she could read a letter containing the big reveal. Boone described her time on the show as “a dream” in an Instagram post when she announced her departure in 2021.

The second season of Bridgerton didn’t include Rege-Jean Page, who became a fan favorite in the first season of the popular Netflix drama. His departure was announced in 2021, disappointing many viewers.

He told Vanity Fair that he simply took on a job, completed it, and then did some additional work. He admitted he wished there was a more exciting story behind it all.

Ruby Rose first appeared as Batwoman (Kate Kane) in a 2018 Arrowverse event and then led the CW’s Batwoman series for one season. This was a landmark moment, making her the first openly lesbian superhero to star in her own show. However, Rose announced she was leaving the role just two days after the season one finale aired in 2020. In season two, Javicia Leslie took over as Ryan Wilder, a new character who became the new Batwoman.

Later on in season two, Kate got a bit of a face swap and returned played by Wallis Day.

America Ferrera left the show Superstore after its fifth season in 2020, which meant both a change for the characters at Cloud 9 and a loss for the series. Although she initially appeared in the first two episodes of the sixth season due to pandemic-related delays, she ultimately returned for the series finale after it was decided that season six would be the last. This allowed her to give Amy and Jonah (Ben Feldman) the satisfying conclusion their story deserved.

In the 2019 finale of the Syfy series The Magicians, Jason Ralph’s character, Quentin, successfully rescued Eliot (played by Hale Appleman) but gave his life doing so. Although the show often deals with death, Ralph didn’t appear in the fifth and final season.

Ahead of the final season, Arrow‘s Emily Bett Rickards announced her exit in a poem of sorts.

Felicity and I are very close, but we’ll be leaving after levels one through seven,” she wrote.

She did, however, return for a guest appearance in the show’s 2020 series finale.

Lauren Cohan initially left The Walking Dead in 2018 after difficult contract talks. While she appeared in a few episodes of season nine, her character, Maggie Greene, disappeared after a time jump of six years. Producers wanted her to come back, and when her show Whiskey Cavalier on ABC was canceled, she did. Cohan returned to The Walking Dead in the 16th episode of season ten, which aired in October 2020.

Following Cohan and Andrew Lincoln’s departures from the show, Danai Gurira also left. She joined the AMC series in its third season as the skilled swordswoman Michonne and appeared for the last time in an episode that aired in March 2020.

Nicollette Sheridan played the famous Alexis Carrington in season one and became a main cast member in season two. In 2019, she decided to leave the CW’s updated series before season three to care for her sick mother.

George Eads left the CBS series in 2019, during its third season. He stated he wanted to focus on spending more time with his family.

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2026-01-21 20:19