Bake Off's Prue Leith recalls 'awful' incident which should have ended her career

Great British Bake Off star Dame Prue Leith made a startling revelation about an early career mishap that could have put an end to her culinary dreams.

Appearing on ITV's Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh on Sunday morning (April 27), alongside Strictly Come Dancing's Dianne Buswell and social media sensation Joe Sugg, Prue shared a shocking tale from her past.

Early into the episode, host Alan asked Prue about any work "disasters", referencing guest Joe's infamous Celebrity Bake Off 2020 incident where he fainted after cutting his finger while chopping. A clip of the moment has garnered nearly two million views on Channel 4's account, reports .

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Prue was quick to recall a work disaster from the "days before health and safety" that left everyone stunned.

She began: "Do you know the very first disaster that I had as a caterer was so awful that I should have really given up catering," adding: "This was in the days before health and safety, I hasten to say."

Continuing her story, the 85-year-old revealed: "My cat used to sit on the windowsill and watch me bake. If he got bored, he would jump right off. He never touched the counter, he would jump from the windowsill onto the floor.

"One day a guy rang up and said 'Do you have an animal called [inaudible]?' I said 'Oh my God is he stuck on your roof?' because my cat was always getting stuck on other people's rooves."

However, it turns out Prue's caller wasn't in need of a rooftop rescue. In an astonishing twist, she confessed that the client had actually found something else entirely – the cat's collar – in his dessert.

She continued: "I said 'Yes, that's my cat, is he stuck on your roof?' and he said 'No, no, his collar tag is stuck in my trifle."

The revelation sparked groans of "Oh no" from Alan, Dianne and Joe, with Dianne covering her mouth in shock. Prue added the final touch to her anecdote: "Obviously he had been jumping off the windowsill and shed his collar tag."

Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh airs Sundays from 9.30am on ITV1 and ITVX