Prue Leith was told she had "ruined lives" after she spoilt last year’s ‘The Great British Bake Off’ finale.
The 78-year-old chef – who appears on the series alongside fellow show judge Paul Hollywood, 52, and presenters, Sandi Toksvig, 60, and Noel Fielding, 45 – has revealed it was "scary" and "horrible" when she accidentally let slip the name of the 2017 winner, Sophie Faldo, in an ill-timed tweet.
Despite the show being filmed in advance, Prue was on holiday in Bhutan with her husband, retired clothes designer, John Playfair, 69, when she got the time zones muddled and Channel 4 chiefs asked her to congratulate the winner when it was announced at 10:30pm.
Speaking to Radio Times magazine, Prue said: "It was very scary at the time and horrible. I had so many people saying, ‘You ruined my life, how could you?’
"I thought, ‘Oh my God, it’s after 10:30.’ And so I immediately tweeted. And of course it was five hours out or something.
"But it was too late. Two people had retweeted it, saying ‘How disgraceful, she has given away the secret.’ And then they gave it away!"
The tweet angered many ‘Bake Off’ fans, and fellow series judge Paul spilt a cup of tea when he found out what had happened.
Paul jokingly added: "I think I was having a bacon butty and a cup of tea in a bikers’ café. And I went, ‘Pffft!’, and my tea went everywhere."
The judging duo will return to TV screens next week, and Prue is "nervous" about this year’s final, because she doesn’t want to make the same mistake as last year.
Prue said: "Although I’m getting nervous as we’ve now done the final, so I’m a liability. I think I should have my phone taken away from me."
The ninth ‘Bake Off’ series starts next Tuesday (28.08.18) at 8pm on Channel 4.
Prue Leith: Spoiling last year’s Great British Bake Off finale was scary
