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New Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith reveals show's bosses gave her a security guard

Prue Leith is the new Bake Off judge
Prue Leith is the new Bake Off judge

Future Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith has revealed that the show's producers have provided her with a close protection officer after fears about her security.

Leith, 77, said she had refused the offer of someone to guard her from threats at first, but Channel 4 and production company Love Productions had insisted.

“On the day that they announced who the line-up was, they wanted to send a close protection officer," she told the Sun.

She said she turned them down, but was told it was necessary "just to be on the safe side".

Prue Leith - Credit: PA 
Prue Leith said she had been offered security Credit: PA

“What did they think is going to happen? I’m not likely to be trolled. This is a nice family show," she said.

But she arrived home from dinner that to find a security guard outside her house in the Cotswolds.

“When I got home that night at 11 at night, there’s a chap in a van, a security guard.

“They sent somebody down to the country to look after me.

“And they sent someone to look after my agent. I mean, who do they think I am? Do they think I’m Prince Philip or something?"

Bake Off - Credit: PA
Prue Leith will join Sandi Toksvig, Noel Fielding and Paul Hollywood on the new-look show Credit: PA

Leith has been lined up to replace Mary Berry as a judge for the baking competition.

She has said it will be "a bit scary" following Berry, who was a hit with the public in her time on the show. 

Last week Leith's fellow judge Paul Hollywood met up with his new Great British Bake Off colleague Noel Fielding for a night out.

Catching up with Noel ..

A post shared by Paul Hollywood (@paul.hollywood) on Mar 24, 2017 at 1:00am PDT

The TV baker and the comic beamed as they posed for a selfie. Along with the snap, shared on Instagram, Hollywood wrote: "Catching up with Noel."

Fielding has proved a divisive choice to host the baking programme, which has moved from the BBC to Channel 4 and lost long-running presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins as a result.

The Mighty Boosh star will present the popular show along with Sandi Toksvig.

Hollywood has said he is a "big fan" of Fielding, telling ITV's Loose Women: "I'm really excited. Obviously it's a big thing for the country, the Bake Off, and when I heard the names read out, I was really excited.

"I think the whole dynamics of it, when I sat down and thought about it, because I'm a big fan of Noel, and Sandi actually, and Prue."

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