The Great British Bake Off star Dame Prue Leith has said she does not “even care if I get cancelled”, adding that she planned to “make the most” of the rest of her life and “just have fun”.
The 84-year-old South African restaurateur was speaking on the This Is 70+ special of ITV talk show Loose Women, which saw her discuss ageing with fellow pensioner panellists Janet Street-Porter, 78, Lesley Joseph, 79, and Gloria Hunniford, 84.
Speaking on the show, Dame Prue said: “Age stinks, come on, it takes me 10 minutes to get myself out of bed in the morning. If I don’t do my exercises, I can’t move.
“There’s all sorts of things that are wrong with old age, you’re very conscious that this is nearly the end.
“Though I agree that you then decide that you’re going to make the most of it and have fun.
“What we’re all saying is that we don’t care what people think much as we did, and to be honest, I really don’t even care if I’m cancelled because so what?”
She prompted agreement from broadcaster and journalist Street-Porter, who added: “I think you have to be so careful today with what you say, and you offend people without realising.
“I’m sure I offend at least 100 people a day, because I’ve made my whole career out of speaking my mind, and now at the age of 78 it’s a kind of well, if you don’t like me, so what?”
It came after actress Joseph had said she felt she “had to care just a little bit because of this whole cancellation culture”.
She added: “I feel that I really do what I want to do, and also I want to travel more, I want to do what I want.
“Now I’ve got to this age I can be who I am, I can do what I want, and I’m free to do that.”
To which TV presenter Hunniford asked: “Still chatting up the men?”
Joseph replied: “You said don’t talk about that, thank-you Gloria.”
The show was airing as part of ITV’s 70th anniversary celebrations, with Loose Women having aired on the channel for more than 20 years.
In 2000, the show’s launch year, it was known as Live Talk until 2001, and sees four female panellists interview guests and discuss the issues of the day.
