Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith calls for packed lunches to be banned from schools

Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith has said that packed lunches should be banned as children put pressure on their parents to fill them with unhealthy food. 

Leith also said there should be better food education in schools as not enough children are being taught to cook and understand where food comes from.

But the veteran presenter and chef was criticised by some who accused her of ignoring the realities of food poverty.   

Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith (pictured) has said that packed lunches should be banned as children put pressure on their parents to fill them with unhealthy food

In an interview with Radio Times, she said: ‘Very few parents give out healthy lunchboxes due to pressure from their children.’

 ‘The most important thing is to teach children to cook at schools. And not only to cook but to understand about where their food comes from.’

She added: ‘I had this argument with Michael Gove when he was education secretary. I said, ‘if you made it part of the curriculum and part of the schools’ responsibility to address the lack of children’s knowledge on food and eating … you can justify that.’ 

Leith also spoke about the fuss that was made when Bake Off moved from the BBC to Channel 4, adding that it ‘now seemed totally unnecessary’. 

In an interview with Radio Times, Leith said: 'Very few parents give out healthy lunchboxes due to pressure from their children' (stock image)

In an interview with Radio Times, Leith said: ‘Very few parents give out healthy lunchboxes due to pressure from their children’ (stock image)

The baking competition hit the headlines in 2016 after its production company Love Productions controversially sold it to Channel 4.

However, its first outing on Channel 4 was popular with viewers and performed well in the ratings.

Leith joined the series after its move, replacing Mary Berry who opted to remain with the BBC.

She said: ‘It does seem, with hindsight, that all that fuss about the show moving from the BBC was so, I wouldn’t say manufactured, but it was so totally unnecessary to worry.

‘If anybody had given it five minutes’ thought, they would have thought, ‘Well why would a production company, who have got a fantastic success, mess with the formula? Why would they change it? Why would Channel 4 pay all that money for a show that is fantastic and then change it?’

The Great British Bake Off returns to Channel 4 on Tuesday, August 28. Pictured left to right: Noel Fielding, Sandi Toksvig, Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood, the presenters and judges

The Great British Bake Off returns to Channel 4 on Tuesday, August 28. Pictured left to right: Noel Fielding, Sandi Toksvig, Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood, the presenters and judges

‘So they didn’t change it.’

As she heads into her second series on the programme, the cook said Bake Off fans are starting to compare her to her predecessor Mary Berry less often.

She said: ‘It’s always quite funny, it’s less now, people just say, ‘I love the show, I love Bake Off, I think you’re wonderful’ or a straightforward compliment, that just makes me feel wonderful. 

‘But I used to get far more of, ‘I really love Mary Berry! I’ve always loved Mary Berry and I just didn’t want to like you’ and you wait and you wait for it and are they going to say… and then they say that you’re all right and that it’s survived the change.’

Last year Leith accidentally revealed the name of the winner, congratulating Sophie Faldo on Twitter six hours ahead of the final.

In her interview with this week's Radio Times (pictured) Leith also spoke about the fuss that was made when Bake Off moved from the BBC to Channel 4, adding that it 'now seemed totally unnecessary'

In her interview with this week’s Radio Times (pictured) Leith also spoke about the fuss that was made when Bake Off moved from the BBC to Channel 4, adding that it ‘now seemed totally unnecessary’

She joked that this year she would stay away from her phone come finals time.

‘Yes that was a bit grim,’ she said.

‘I sort of understood, I mean people were pretty upset.

‘But in the end it didn’t matter.

‘Actually a lot of people were really nice about it, lots and lots of people have said, ‘I’ve been there, I’ve done that’. And it was a really stupid thing to do.

‘I think I better leave the country now. Actually leaving the country didn’t help last time!’

Fellow judge Paul Hollywood teased: ‘At least keep in the same time zone!’

‘I’ll leave my phone behind, that’s the answer,’ said Leith.

The Great British Bake Off returns to Channel 4 on Tuesday, August 28. 

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