Bake Off Prue: I want to keep on going like Mary

‘Show is a joy and I’ll work for years’

Toksvig and Noel Fielding lacked chemistry and were distant off-screen. Prue is barred from speaking about the show, which Channel 4 pinched from the BBC.

But she said: “We get on very well and it’s a joy. I’m allowed to say that. It’s true!”

Her new husband, clothing designer John Playfair, 70, added: “Wait until you see Bake Off, you’ll be very pleasantly surprised. She’s wonderfully naughty.”

Prue and John were together for the opening of the Evesham festival of words, near their respective homes in the Cotswolds. It was recently reported

Prue and former judge Mary they are to move in together after living separately since marrying last October. But they told us they are still living separately – in bliss. Prue said: “It’s brilliant, he gets up in the morning, gives me a cup of tea, feeds the dogs, takes them for a walk, then disappears. You have to walk over walls of books to get anywhere in his house. One day we might live together – in an old age home.”

And John – who admitted “she’s tidy and I’m not” – chipped in: “We’ll be 112.”

Prue revealed her biggest celebrity disaster was years ago when The Beatles visited one of her restaurants.

She said: “I remember them giving us hell. They wanted a fry-up. The chef couldn’t resist putting a bit of chopped parsley on the egg to make it look nice.

“Ringo sent it back – because people kept putting green things on his eggs!”

Great British Bake Off will air on Channel 4 later in the year.

alan.selby@trinitymirror.com