Dame Prue Leith has poignantly accepted that she may not have "much longer" to live, sharing an honest reflection on her latter years. The beloved 85 year old face of The Great British Bake Off divulged her sentiments on the later stage of her life, intending to savour every moment with her other half, John Playfair.

While speaking with Holly Rubenstein on The Travel Diaries podcast, Dame Prue admitted: "I haven't got much longer, I'm 85, I want to spend as much time as I can with him." Highlighting her current dependence on her spouse's assistance during international travels for work, the esteemed TV figure talked about her need for support.

She detailed: "And so, if we are filming abroad, or like next week, we're going to New York, because I've got to publicise the American baking show, then I'm now old enough for my agent to say 'I'm sorry, but she has to ring her husband, because she's 85, she needs someone to carry the bags' she doesn't quite say 'she needs a carer' but it's pretty close," reports Wales Online.

In an earlier part of the conversation, Dame Prue had affectionately expressed how her husband's humility and self-effacing attitude was endearing. She recounted to listeners: "One of the wonderful things about him is that he is totally without ego, he doesn't feel threatened by the fact that I have a higher profile than he does, when I introduce him (to people) he always just says 'I'm the handbag carrier, I'm her chauffeur'."

Dame Prue took the matrimonial plunge with John in 2016, after the loss of her first husband, Rayne Kruger, who passed away at 80 in 2002. Together the couple had two children - Li-Da Kruger, whom they adopted from Cambodia, and Danny Kruger.

Discussing how she maintains her glowing aura at 85, Dame Prue disclosed: "I wish I could say it is from some wonderful thing I do, but if I look good or at least younger than I am, then it's got to be at least because I sleep well and I eat well, and I am happy, when you're unhappy, you don't eat well."

Dame Prue's distinguished journey in gastronomy took off at 20 years old, when she joined the Cordon Bleu Cookery School.

Post mastery at the culinary institute, she embarked on a significant food industry venture, opening Leith's, her own culinary establishment in Notting Hill, London, when she was just 29.

Her path has earned her fame both on the small screen and as an acclaimed author of a host of cookbooks. In 2017, she assumed one of her most noted TV roles, becoming a judge on the Great British Bake Off, filling the esteemed boots of Dame Mary Berry.

Whilst continuing her longstanding association with GBBO, Dame Prue has recently scaled back her participation, stepping away from the celebrity iteration of the show, allowing her dear companion Caroline Waldergrave to take over her judging duties.

Dame Prue disclosed her reasons for stepping back, explaining: "These things are filmed back-to-back all the way through summer from April to August so you don't get any time off. I'm getting quite old and there's places I want to see. So I'm not doing this year's."