Prue Leith: It's nonsense to claim I am being paid more than Mary Berry for new Great British Bake Off

The TV cook admits she does not want to fail if she replaces icon on show
Replacement: Prue Leith could be Mary Berry's successor
Kirsty O'Connor/PA
Emma Powell14 March 2017

Prue Leith has dismissed claims she is being paid £250,000 to replace Mary Berry on the The Great British Bake Off.

The 77-year-old is in talks to take over from the TV judge when the popular baking show moves to Channel 4 later this year and it has been reported she is being offered a pay packet up to three times more than Berry was on.

But while Leith admits she is desperate for the job, she says the rumoured payday is "nonsense".

She also said she was concerned about in Berry’s footsteps in case she does a Chris Evans, who failed to win over Top Gear viewers after his predecessors Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May left the motoring show.

Speaking to the Press Association she said: “Of course I (want it). There's not a cook in the country who doesn't want to do that job. It'd be lovely.

“It's a bit scary following Mary, but I don't want to do a Chris Evans.”

The TV cook continued: “I believe I'm about to be paid about a quarter of a million pounds or something and I've got a deal,” she said. “It's complete nonsense.

“I have not signed any contract. I've not got the job yet. I hope to have it – I have no idea if I will.”

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She said she hopes it will be “fairly soon” that she finds out from the production company about the job, because “it has been going on an awful long time”.

Leith also backed Paul Hollywood's decision to stay with the programme after its move from the BBC which saw presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins opt out.

She said: “I think Paul Hollywood was quite perfectly within his rights to stay with Love Productions.

"They'd made him famous, he was getting a decent salary and he was enjoying it.

"Why shouldn't he stay with them?”

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