Prue Leith, the Great British Bake Off judge, walked the runway at the Vin + Omi: Dysphoriana show during London Fashion Week on Thursday, appearing alongside topless models as she posed for the crowd. The 85-year-old displayed a red oversized midi dress with billowing sleeves and a dramatic hem, pairing the look with red and white trainers, a small red hat, and fuchsia earrings.
The show also featured other models in daring ensembles, including one who went braless in a sheer orange dress with pink sleeves and a black choker. Loose Women star Jane Moore joined the lineup in a burnt orange dress with a black patterned print and a black beehive wig. Jo Wood offered an animated display in a black leather dress with a v-neckline as part of the collection.
Prue Leith’s appearance comes with a broader profile shift as she has spent decades building and expanding a business empire. She and her first husband, author Rayne Kruger, began a family in the early years of their marriage, eventually having two children: Danny, now 50, a Conservative MP for Devizes, and Li-Da, 49, whom they adopted from Cambodia as a baby. Kruger died in 2002. Leith later remarried in 2016, tying the knot with retired fashion designer John Playfair when she was 76.
In tandem with her fashion moment, Leith has spoken candidly about motherhood and career balance. In Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast, she argued that women cannot truly “have it all,” saying she would have found motherhood “boring and tiring” if she had married and started a family in her twenties. She explained that her timing — becoming a mother at 34 after already having her business well underway — allowed her to pursue ventures such as opening a restaurant and later launching a cookery school and catering empire. “It’s about timing, isn’t it? If you’re lucky enough to do well at something so you can afford the help — and really, it boils down to getting the help, because it isn’t possible to bring up two or three children and have a full-time job without help,” she said, noting she relied on au pairs and nannies at different stages.
Leith reiterated that, even with her success, the choice not to prioritize full-time motherhood shaped her career path. “I didn’t have my children until I was 34,” she added, describing a period when she was actively expanding her business. The Bake Off star returned to Channel 4’s culinary competition for a new series, set to air on Tuesday, continuing to balance high-profile television work with her ongoing business ventures.
The London Fashion Week appearance underscores Leith’s enduring presence in British culture, where fashion, media, and entrepreneurship intersect. While the event spotlighted a fashion-forward moment, her comments on timing and support networks reflect a broader conversation about how public figures navigate professional ambition and family life.