Prue Leith has responded to The Great British Bake Off viewers who compared a necklace she wore on the show to a sex toy.
During a March episode of the baking show’s charity series for Stand Up To Cancer, the chef set tongues wagging as she wore a necklace featuring a large red sphere on a thick black string.
On social media, many viewers cheekily compared the jewellery to a ball gag, with publications asking if Leith knew she was wearing the “suggestive” item.
Appearing on Watch What Happens Live on Thursday (4 May), the 83-year-old was asked about the necklace.
“Well, I mean, that does look like a ball gag,” host Andy Cohen told her. “Do you know what a ball gag is?”
“Well, I do now, only because of the furore about that necklace,” Leith replied.
The TV judge said that she now “felt obliged to wear them”, saying: “I mean, I just think it’s such nonsense… I don’t want to be intimidated by lots of chaps on Twitter who’ve got dirty minds.”
It comes after Leith said that she was looking forward to incoming Bake Off presenter Alison Hammond joining the show, as she hoped it would reduce the amount of innuendos on the show.
The This Morning show was announced as the new Bake Off co-host in March, and will replace Matt Lucas.
“I never get the jokes,” Leith said. “All this stuff about innuendo and things. I feel I’m really glad Alison’s coming, because at least she’s a woman and she’ll be a little more sensible.
“Those three men, they’re like three children… You say sausage and everybody always does laughter. What’s wrong with you guys?”
She added: “Over and over again, I’m the butt of the joke because I’m standing there and I don’t understand why everyone’s laughing. But I have said something which apparently is hilarious and it’s rude, but of course, I don’t get it.”
