Two Happy Marriages and Widowhood

A life of bold choices, second chances, and refusing to fear getting older.

In this episode of Begin Again, Prue Leith opens up about leaving The Great British Bake Off, falling in love again at 70, and why she believes ageing can be the most liberating chapter of all.

After nearly a decade in the tent, Prue shares why she chose to step away from a job she has loved. She reveals the remarkable story of meeting her second husband in her seventies, following a 13-year secret relationship that changed her life.

From growing up in apartheid South Africa to fighting sexism in professional kitchens, adopting her daughter from Cambodia, and campaigning for assisted dying after personal loss, Prue reflects on love, risk, reinvention and resilience.

With sharp wit and hard-won wisdom, she explains why she refuses to fear getting older, why colour matters more than ever, and why she never looks back. Prue’s gratitude for the “lucky” life she’s lived is remarkable,  and as she so often shows, it’s truly never too late to begin again.

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(00:00) Intro

(01:53) Leaving Bake Off After 9 Years

(04:48) Falling in Love in Her 70's

(15:36) Her New Book 'Being Old'

(18:52) Growing Up in Apartheid South Africa

(23:09) Moving To Paris And Falling in Love With Food

(27:29) Being A Woman in the Culinary World

(30:36) Airbnb Ad

(31:41) Her 13 Year Affair with Her Mother’s Best Friend’s Husband

(41:41) Adopting Her Daughter and Motherhood

(48:29) Feeling Lucky, Inspiring Women, and Why She Wrote the Book

(51:21) Why She's Campaigning for Assisted Dying

(58:02) Prue on Her Colourful Style and Being Seen

(01:00:43) A Special Letter From Alison Hammond

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