Prue Leith, one of the judges on “The Great British Baking Show,” said on Wednesday that she was leaving the program after presiding over more than 400 challenges in nine seasons.
“Now feels like the right time to step back (I’m 86 for goodness sake!)” she wrote in a post on Instagram. “There’s so much I’d like to do, not least spend summers enjoying my garden.”
She said that the show, which is called “The Great British Bake Off” in Britain, had been a “fabulous part of my life” and that she would miss working with her fellow judges and presenters: Paul Hollywood, Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond.
“Whoever joins the team, I’m sure they’ll love it as much as I have,” Ms. Leith said. “I feel very lucky to have been part of it.”
The cheery show pits bakers competing in increasingly complex challenges that test their creativity and execution of flavorful baked goods. Loyal followers are invited to submit ideas for episode themes during an audience week.
The show has been credited with changing the way Britons viewed the cultural range and offerings of baking, and for inspiring home bakers encouraged by the show’s diverse roster of contestants.
It was on the air for about a half-dozen years and was one of the top-rated shows on British television when, in 2016, Love Productions, the producers, decided to leave the BBC for Channel 4, a rival network. The change prompted two of its hosts, Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc, to leave.
The show was titled “The Great British Baking Show” on the publicly funded American network PBS in the United States, where it was also available on Netflix.
Ms. Leith, who was a judge on the BBC show “Great British Menu” and “My Kitchen Rules” on Channel 4, joined the “Bake Off,” which began broadcasting in 2017.
The comedians Sandi Toksvig and Mr. Fielding also joined at Channel 4. Mr. Hollywood remained with the show during the network transition from the BBC.
Ms. Leith, who had worked as a chef, restaurateur, food educator, writer and caterer, founded a cooking school, Leiths School of Food and Wine, in London in 1975. She lent her name to a cooking school in her native South Africa, helping to develop its curriculum.
On Instagram, Ms. Leith’s followers and fans reacted to the news of her departure and made reference to the off-color double entendres she makes on the show. And on her “Cotswold’s Kitchen” show, she was not above sipping Grand Marnier from a spoon or licking a ladle coated with chocolate.
Christine Hauser is a Times reporter who writes breaking news stories, features and explainers.
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