Prue Leith looks back: ‘I had a great time on Bake Off, but I don’t think I’ll have any yearning when I see Nigella in that position’

The broadcaster, writer and former television judge on being useless at school, how ‘great parents’ instilled her self-confidence, and dealing with sexism

Born in Cape Town in 1940, Prue Leith is a restaurateur, chef, broadcaster and writer. She made her name with her Michelin-starred restaurant Leiths and founded Leiths School of Food and Wine in 1975, which she sold in 1995. Her career spans more than 16 cookery books, eight novels and a memoir published in 2013. After first appearing on television in the 1970s, she later served as a judge on Great British Menu for 11 years and judged The Great British Bake Off for nine years. Her new book, Being Old and Learning to Love It, is out now.

This was taken when I won businesswoman of the year. The chairman of British Rail, Sir Peter Parker, had been nominating me for 10 years. The board didn’t think I was the right candidate, even though my business was growing all the time. The two previous winners both went bust and they didn’t want the award to be seen as a kiss of death. They gave it to me because I didn’t have any debt. I never spent money – my chefs would get furious with me. They’d ask for a new fridge or fancy oven and I would always reply: “When we can afford it, we will!”