Great British Bake Off's Prue Leith shares her secret to a happy marriage and says 'just think'

Prue Leith was about to quit The Great British Bake Off after it returned to our screens last month, but a compromise from the producers meant she didn't have to leave

The Great British Bake Off's return to our screens last month was on the brink of missing its hallmark flair Prue Leith's signature large statement jewellery, vivid scarlet lipstick and eye-catching primary-coloured glasses nearly didn't grace the show.

According to Prue, she had considered not returning, stating: "It wasn't that I wasn't enjoying Bake Off," adding, "I love it. But I needed a summer holiday."

So she took matters into her own hands and informed producer Richard McKerrow in a message saying: "You know I love you dearly but I'm going."

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However, fate would have it that Prue and Richard were set to attend fellow judge Paul Hollywood's Cyprus wedding last year, prompting Richard to propose a discussion at the event. Prue reveals, "And we sat by the swimming pool and he said, 'Why don't you just do less and we'll make sure you get a summer holiday? '" This led to a new arrangement where Prue, at 84, steps back from hosting The Great Celebrity Bake Off spin-off but keeps her judging role on the main show.

When asked if she would have regretted leaving GBBO, Prue is candid: "No, no, no, I love Bake Off but it's not my whole life," yet acknowledges that being part of the show has brought significant changes to her life. With a smile, she admits: "It has given me eight years of enormous pleasure," and not to forget, she notes, "And of course it's given me lots of money, which is very helpful.", reports the Mirror.

She's clearly fond of her colleagues on the show, including co-hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond, as well as fellow judge Paul. "Every summer, I know I'm going to have a lot of fun because I will be with Paul, Noel and Alison. We are really good friends. We socialise quite a lot when we're filming, we see each other out of work."

"And we have a WhatsApp group so we talk a lot. Usually we're teasing each other. Paul was saying he saw me doing Prue's Cotswold Kitchen showing my husband how to make flatbread. He indicated that I didn't do it very well. But Paul and I have become closer over the last few years. At first, I just admired him, but I think we've grown fonder of each other."

On the topic of replacing Mary Berry in 2017, Prue wasn't overwhelmed by the challenge. "It wasn't daunting, mainly because I didn't realise the show had millions of viewers," she admits.

"And although I knew Mary Berry and admired her, I had never watched it. So I wasn't daunted until I walked into this enormous tent with eight cameramen and lots of soundmen and producers running around, runners and home economists. 'Oh my God, this is terrifying! '".

"But actually, it's a very easy job for me because I don't have to rehearse anything. I just walk on set and eat cake and say what I think. It's a dream job. It's the best job in television. I just felt it's taking up too much of my summer and I needed a holiday."

She recently enjoyed a much-needed break in Uzbekistan, a destination chosen by her "veteran traveller" husband, retired fashion designer John Playfair. She speaks highly of the country's vibrant history, "amazing" architecture and the exquisitely restored mausoleum erected by the 14th-century conqueror Tamerlane.

Her work and holiday alike showcase her extraordinary vitality. When asked about the source of her energy, she says, "I think it's good luck. My mother lived until 97 and she was pretty active. So I think it's probably genes. I'm so lucky because a lot of people suffer ill health and it diminishes your enthusiasm. And I've had a great life. I eat well and sleep well I can sleep anywhere."

Recalling an incident during London Fashion Week, she recounts the time she modelled for a friend's show. "This was absolutely ridiculous but I was doing a fashion show for some friends. They are mad as hatters but I love them."

Bored with the long wait to hit the runway, she found solace outside on a bench where she "went straight to sleep. I had a good hour's kip".

She then made quite the statement as she walked down the catwalk in a black latex gown, complete with matching gloves and bold eyeliner. Embodying her belief that "life is for living", which she notes in her recent cookbook entitled Life's Too Short To Stuff A Mushroom advice taken from Shirley Conran's seminal 1977 book Superwoman, she certainly dazzles.

"The fact is I'm 84. Life is galloping past. When I look at travel programmes, I think, 'Oh, I'd love to go there'. I open a book and think, 'Oh, I'd like to visit that museum'."

"I know I'm not going to get all this done. It's because I spend a lot of time in the kitchen but I want to do other things as well."

she mused, acknowledging there's more to life than culinary endeavours. As such, her latest work is dedicated to crafting scrumptious dishes without excessive time spent "Most of these recipes are about shortcuts that don't compromise quality," she asserts.

Prue doesn't shy away from culinary hacks, endorsing the use of ready-made custard, store-bought puff pastry, and even frozen sprouts during the festive season. These confessions will resonate with a lot of home chefs and reveal that, in their eight-year marriage where the early years were spent apart, she faces the same domestic dichotomies as many others in their shared lives with their partners.

"My husband is amazingly untidy," she reveals. "He likes to load the dishwasher just so, everything has to be in the right place. Then he just steps out of his trousers and there they are. Incredibly untidy. Then I just decided, 'What does the clutter matter? ' Now I tidy up after him and I don't care. I quite like tidying up anyway."

John, on the other hand, finds Prue's habit of constantly scanning the room for something to tidy a bit irksome. This segues into her sharing the secret to a happy marriage: "Find the right guy first," she beams.

However, she also emphasises the importance of tolerance. "A friend of mine said to me, 'If something bugs you, don't let it get to you'. Just think, 'Is he worth it? ' And if he's worth it then put up with it, he's not going to change."

With two children from her late first husband Rayne Kruger (who was previously married to her mother's best friend), and a combined total of 11 grandchildren, she describes John as "like a clown entertainer for small children". She affectionately dubs him a "machine freak" and recalls how one Christmas, she gifted him a tractor.

He, in turn, spoils the grandchildren with mini sports cars, quad bikes, motorbikes, and Segways for them to enjoy in their garden.

"It's a very good attraction because it means the children come and see us," she explains. "I planned the whole garden we have these massive expanses of lawns and I want to rewild them. But he wants to keep them because it's great for the kids to be buzzing around."

The setting appears utterly tranquil. It's hard to fault her for desiring to reduce her working hours or time spent in the kitchen. She concurs, saying, "I've been really lucky."