Prue Leith has opened up about her views on assisted dying, revealing her fears not of death itself but of enduring pain and suffering at the end of life. The celebrated chef, restaurateur and television judge, known for her role on The Great British Bake Off, said she is frustrated with the way proposed legislation on assisted dying is being handled in the House of Lords. Speaking to Katherine Ryan on the What's My Age Again? podcast, Prue stressed that, while she does not fear death, the prospect of not being allowed to die does frighten her. She said: "It doesn't scare me at all; it absolutely doesn't scare me. What would scare me is if you're ill, in pain and unhappy—you ought to be allowed to die if you want to."

The 86-year-old culinary icon explained that she actively advocates for the right to assisted dying and is closely following a bill currently making its way through Parliament. She expressed deep frustration with the way it is being stalled. "I spend a lot of time advocating assisted dying, and at the moment a bill is going through Parliament, but it looks likely to fail because the House of Lords has decided to filibuster," Prue said. Prue emphasised that the bill has already passed the House of Commons with strong support, reflecting widespread public and parliamentary approval. Yet she said the process in the Lords is deliberately obstructive.

"If a bill runs out of time because it hasn't been properly debated, it automatically falls, and you then have to start again in the next Parliament and go right through the House of Commons," she said. "It has already been through the House of Commons, which approved it and wants to see it made law."

The TV star, who built her reputation with cookery schools, restaurants and television, has long been vocal on social issues, including healthcare and patients’ rights. Her candid remarks come as public debate intensifies over assisted dying legislation in the UK, with supporters arguing for the autonomy of terminally ill patients and opponents citing ethical concerns. Prue said her anger is aimed at a small group of Lords who, she says, are abusing parliamentary procedure.

"The Lords are supposed to scrutinise and improve bills. They're there to check bills and make sure they are the best they can be. They're not meant to deliberately sink them or bury them, and there's this group of Lords who have tabled over a thousand amendments which have to be discussed, simply to make sure the bill runs out of time and fails," she said.

For Prue, the issue is deeply personal as well as political. Her emphasis is on the right of individuals to avoid prolonged suffering and to choose dignity in their final days. Prue described this tactic as “so undemocratic” and said it undermines the credibility of the Lords themselves.

"And a lot of the Lords, even those who are opposed to assisted dying and don't want the bill to succeed, totally disagree with what this little cabal of Lords is doing. They say that's not what we're meant to do. It's not the right use of the Lords. It's bringing the Lords into disrepute. It's undemocratic. It means we can't vote because it will run out of time. It's disgraceful," she added.

With her characteristic bluntness, the TV star made clear that her frustration is not with those opposed to assisted dying in principle, but with procedural tactics that prevent Parliament from voting on a bill supported by the elected House of Commons.

In January, Prue announced she was stepping down as a judge on Channel 4’s The Great British Bake Off. The 86-year-old said she has “genuinely loved” working on the programme for the past nine series, having judged more than 400 challenges.

She has been a judge on the popular baking show alongside Paul Hollywood since 2017, when the series moved from the BBC to Channel 4.