Caroline Waldegrave: All about the new Bake Off judge, including old friendship with Prue Leith

For years, Dame Prue Leith has been a comforting presence on The Great British Bake Off, her sharp critiques balanced with warmth and wisdom. However, she announced last year that she was stepping away from the show’s special editions including Stand Up To Cancer celebrity specials due to ‘back-to-back’ filming schedule. She claimed that she didn’t get enough ‘time off’ because of them.

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Her decision to take a step back opened the door for a new judge—Caroline Waldegrave. But while she may be new to Bake Off, she’s no stranger to the culinary world. A longtime friend and former business partner of Prue’s, Caroline has spent decades shaping Britain’s food industry. Now, she’s bringing her skills to the tent, standing alongside Paul Hollywood as the newest judge on The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer.

Who is Caroline Waldegrave?

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Lady Caroline Waldegrave is no stranger to the world of food. A highly respected chef, she was the founding principal of the prestigious Leiths School of Food and Wine, where she served from 1975 to 2002.

In 2000, she was awarded an OBE for her contributions to the UK catering industry. A seasoned author, she has co-written several cookbooks, including Leiths Cookery Bible, Leiths Easy Dinner Parties, and Leiths Seasonal Bible.

Despite retiring in 2009, Caroline has remained involved in the culinary world, appearing on TV shows such as Chef School, MasterChef, and Tricks of the Trade. However, she admitted that stepping onto the Bake Off set was daunting. She confessed to:

I was completely terrified. Then, when I turned up, I went to the shepherd's hut I was allotted and there were banners outside saying 'Welcome!' and flowers.

She credited the production team and Paul Hollywood for helping her settle in, saying:

[The] mood is very light – there's a lot of laughter – and (co-hosts) Alison (Hammond) and Noel (Fielding) were so nice to me. Particularly Alison. I mean, she's so hugging that it was just magic.

Co-host Alison Hammond also praised the new judge, telling The Sun:

She’s not too strict, I don’t think she’s as strict as Paul, she’s a really lovely lady and really passionate about baking. She’s a lovely addition to the family.

Caroline Waldegrave’s husband and family

Beyond the kitchen, Caroline Waldegrave’s family life has been closely linked to British politics. In 1975, she married William Waldegrave. William Waldegrave served as a Conservative MP for Bristol West from 1979 to 1997 and held several key Cabinet positions in the 1990s. As per Express, he became a life peer in 1997, taking the title Baron Waldegrave of North Hill. This conferred upon Caroline the title of Lady Waldegrave.

The couple share four children: Katie, Liza, Jamie, and Harriet. In addition to her culinary career, Caroline has been involved in running the family’s organic dairy farm and has remained active in food education. As Dudwell Cookery School noted, she also teaches at Dudwell School, based at the Waldegrave family home—passing on her extensive culinary knowledge to new generations.

Indeed she is a powerhouse in the culinary world and in fact, it is the love for the art of food that brought her together with Prue.

Caroline and Prue’s lifelong friendship

Caroline and Prue’s friendship spans more than five decades. They first met when Caroline applied for a job at Prue’s catering company. Caroline was around 20 years old at that time while Prue was 34.

Despite receiving a less-than-glowing reference—‘she’s the naughtiest girl in school,’ Prue was told—Caroline quickly impressed her new boss with both her firmness and empathy. Prue recalled in an interview with The Independent:

I remember Caroline's attitude to the younger ones being so good. She was very firm about how things should be: the carrots need to be cut like this, and we do it that way.

But on the other hand, she nearly always had an arm around some girl who was crying, and saying to her, “Don't worry, in three days you'll get used to it.” She was so comforting. She was extremely efficient and just brilliant.

Caroline eventually left Prue's catering company to travel across America. While she was away, Prue decided to open a new culinary school. In 1975, Prue reached out to Caroline and invited her to return to the UK to help set up a new culinary school. Caroline accepted the offer and became the founding principal of Leiths School of Food and Wine, which went on to become one of the most respected culinary institutions in the UK.

They also co-wrote several cookbooks. Reflecting on their friendship in 2015, Caroline told The Independent:

I'm quite different to Prue. I'm probably more pedantic and she's much bolder and more exciting, which is why we worked well together. She can talk to anyone about anything and people automatically love her. She's courageous and she's fun, she's very warm and she's sympathetic. She's got all the qualities you need in a friend.

Although they now see each other less frequently, Prue and Caroline remain close. Prue said:

I live in the Cotswolds, she lives down near Bath, so we don't see that much of each other now. I used to see her every week; now it's three or four times a year.

Caroline added:

We see each other much less now. It's usually bound up with food in some way, so we'll meet for a meal. Our connection and our friendship is incredibly bound up with the work we did together.

With their strong friendship, it's no wonder that Caroline replaced Prue for this special season of The Great British Bake Off. Now that the first episode is out, how did fans react to her?

Bake Off fans react to Prue’s absence

While Caroline’s debut was highly anticipated, many viewers found it hard to accept the show without Prue. Social media was flooded with comments like:

Where the hell is Prue?!

no no no no im not liking this already where is our prue!!!!!!

Bring back Pru ! Fake Pru just isn't the same !

miss Prue

However, another fan defended Prue’s decision to step down. As Daily Mail reported, one viewer wrote:

Totally understand Prue’s decision to step down from the celebrity specials of this show to focus on the main one in the summer. She is 84 and it is a gruelling schedule. absolutely understandable and a great decision imo.

That being said, according to Metro.co.uk, there was some praise for the new judge. Some viewers wrote: