Dame Prue Leith didn't think she ticked enough 'diversity boxes' to land Great British Bake Off job

Dame Prue Leith didn't think she'd get her job on 'The Great British Bake Off' because she didn't "tick all the diversity boxes".

The 84-year-old food expert took over from Dame Mary Berry as judge alongside Paul Hollywood when the programme moved from BBC One to Channel 4 seven years ago and though she had "jumped" at the possibility of working on the competition show, she didn't expect discussions to progress.

Speaking on the 'Sliding Doors' podcast, she said: “I just jumped at it. I had begun to think about it, once I knew Mary Berry was not going to go on. I thought, ‘Oh, I’d love that job’, but I dismissed the thought.

“I thought, ‘They’ll get someone younger, someone more . . . probably a young Asian chef or something, that would tick all the diversity boxes and stuff’. But no, they chose me.”

But Prue was aware she had the right credentials for the job.

She explained: “If you think about my past career, I’d had 11 years sitting at [BBC Two cooking contest] the 'Great British Menu' as a judge and every plate has about ten tastes on it — it makes 'Bake Off' look really simple.

“With cake, with one spoonful, you can get the icing, the filling and the crumb.

“I knew all the top chefs, I had a Michelin restaurant of my own so I knew that level of cooking very well.”

Prue recently admitted she had struggled to get her husband John Playfair to take direction while shooting her new show Prue Leith's Costwold Kitchen' in their home.

Speaking on ITV's 'Lorraine', she told stand-in host Ranvir Singh: "When we did the first show together John was not listening to what the director said, so I said to him 'John, you see that girl? She is the director. The clue is in the name, she directs and you do what you're told!'

"He doesn't take direction.

"I've given up on it, he does what he does. And you know what? It works."