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Bake Off winner gives warning over Prue Leith departure

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In January, it was announced that Dame Prue, who lives in the Cotswolds, would bow out of the Great British Bake Off after nine series and judging more than 400 challenges.

The 86-year-old has been a judge on the popular baking show alongside Paul Hollywood since 2017, when the series moved from the BBC to Channel 4, replacing Henley resident Dame Mary.

It was then announced on Monday, January 26, that Oxford University graduate Ms Lawson will replace her as the judge on the Bake Off.

READ MORE: Historic England issues statement to Jeremy Clarkson over Cotswolds pub

Dame Prue Leith. (Image: Queen’s College)

Now, former Bake Off winner Matty Edgell, who proved victorious back in 2023, has given an inside look at Dame Prue, naming her the “good cop” of the tent.

In an exclusive interview with Lottoland amid the 2026 Celebrity Great British Bake Off, the ex-contestant opened up about his experience with the judge during his time on the show.

“Prue’s so lovely,” he said.

“She’s kind of what I imagine my nan would be like now in terms of how she delivers her messages. That’s probably the biggest compliment I can pay to her.”

“Even when she’s criticising you, you can see it in her eyes. She’s not trying to tear you apart, she’s just doing her job.”

READ MORE: King Charles keeps ‘staff on their feet’ at private home in Cotswolds

Prue Leith with the Great British Bake Off cast. (Image: Channel 4/Love Productions/PA Wire)

“She genuinely wants you to succeed, and she’d never lie to you. When we got to taste everyone’s bakes at the end of each challenge, you could always see what the judges saw.”

When comparing Paul Hollywood and Dame Prue, Mr Edgell shared, “Paul could definitely be more cruel with his criticism.”

He added: “It’s definitely a case of good cop, bad cop, and I know exactly which one was which.”

Matty also reveals he figured out how to win Dame Prue over with his bakes by using alcohol in the ingredients.

“For Prue, in the end, I was covering everything with alcohol, like dousing it all in alcohol,” he said.

READ MORE: Award-winning Cotswolds pub latest after losing Michelin-starred chef

TV cook Nigella Lawson is replacing Prue Leith on the Great British Bake Off. (Image: Chenying Cannell/PA Wire)

“I don’t really bake with alcohol, but towards the back end of the competition, if my back was against the wall, I’d find a bottle from somewhere.”

With rumours of Dame Prue venturing to Bake Off America, Mr Edgell said, “She knows exactly what she’s doing.”

“If she took on the American version, I’m sure she’d be a great fit.

“She’s got the experience, and I think she’d really enjoy the challenge of a different country and a fresh perspective.”

Nigella Lawson will take on Dame Prue’s role as judge alongside Paul Hollywood when the Great British Bake Off returns to Channel 4 later this year.





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Real reason for Beckham family fallout with Brooklyn revealed

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Brooklyn, 27, had shared a statement on social media in January, making several accusations about his parents, David, 51, and Victoria, 52.

The source of the tension was reportedly his relationship with his fiancée, Nicola Peltz, 31.

According to the Daily Mail, things became so strained that Brooklyn and his parents were not on speaking terms for some three months before his wedding to Nicola in Palm Beach, in April 2022.

Despite the family rift, the Beckhams maintained a united front for the cameras at the wedding, and posted adoring posts on social media after the event.

READ MORE: Anti-racism group concerns after Tommy Robinson weighs in on Bicester asylum row

Lady Victoria Beckham with her family this week.Lady Victoria Beckham with her family. (Image: Victoria Beckham / Instagram)

Brooklyn’s accusations included claims that Victoria ‘hijacking’ his first dance with Nicola and danced with him ‘inappropriately’ in front of his 500 guests.

He also alleged that the fashion designer pulled out of making Nicola’s dress at the last minute.

Following these accusations, Brooklyn reportedly issued a legal notice to his parents, instructing them to only contact him through his lawyers.

An insider told The Sun that Brooklyn felt his parents ignored his wishes and continued to mention him online instead of reaching out privately.

The insider said: “Truly, people do not know the full facts of this heart-breaking tale, and think Brooklyn was just being truculent when he blocked his parents.

The reality is that he issued them with a letter at the end of last summer, asking for any correspondence to go via lawyers only, and wanted to try and make amends privately not publicly.”





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£7 billion East West Rail Oxford to Milton Keynes row solved

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Instead, Chiltern Railways has started hiring Customer Service Inspectors—roles that closely resemble the duties of traditional guards.

Oxford’s new railway line to Milton Keynes has been complete for almost two years, but passenger trains still aren’t running.

The move comes after the Government’s initial instruction to adopt driver-only operation, with unions demanding that a guard be present.

The new inspectors, to be based at the Bletchley depot—home to East West Rail services—will undertake tasks including customer care, revenue protection, making on-train announcements, and reporting or rectifying faults.

While a second staff member will typically be present, train doors will still be operated by drivers, meaning the absence of a second staff member in rare cases will not prevent a service from running—mirroring practices commonly seen south of London.

45 drivers have been recruited for the new service, but no guards.

An internal government document confirms issues at Winslow station will not obstruct operation, and the fleet of trains has been upgraded with ‘Superpower mode’ to enhance acceleration and meet a tight timetable.

The project delays have already taken a significant financial toll.

READ MORE: Plans for Oxfordshire councils to be abolished is a ‘land grab’

Six two-carriage trains have accumulated £2.6m in costs due to delays in their lease.

Currently idle in a Bletchley depot, these units are costing the Department for Transport money without generating any fare income.

Previously, the rail industry attributed setbacks to complications in finalising Winslow station.

However, observers note this typically does not stop a line from launching, as seen with the Northumberland Line, which managed to start operations even with incomplete stations.

A total of 45 drivers have been recruited for the new service, but the absence of guards, also known as ‘train managers’, has proved more contentious.

The Government has been pushing for ‘Driver-Controlled’ or ‘Driver-Only Operation’—a cost-saving method introduced widely on London commuter lines in the 1980s.

However, this system’s extension to new lines has faced staunch resistance from rail unions, who have fielded several disputes over the years, the most recent of which extended more than four years with South Western Railway.

The stalemate over guards has ultimately stalled the Oxford-Milton Keynes route, but the introduction of the ‘Customer Service Inspector’ role now seems to pave the way for the resolution, hinting at imminent rides for the eagerly awaiting passengers.

The Government previously said trains from Oxford to Milton Keynes are being lined up to appear in the December rail timetable.

In a written statement, rail minister Lord Peter Hendy said: “Chiltern worked with Network Rail, the Department for Transport and other operators on the December 2026 timetable and services have been timetabled between Oxford, Winslow, Bletchley and Milton Keynes.”





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215 homes, care home and retirement village plans approved

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Cherwell District Council has backed the plans to transform the 14-hectare brownfield site at Islip Fuel Depot, a former RAF fuel depot near Islip village.

The plans include 150 homes, of which half will be affordable, up to a 70-bed care home and up to 65 retirement units, subject to 20 conditions.

These will replace the decommissioned Islip Fuel Depot off Bletchingdon Road, which was taken over by the Esso Petroleum Company in the 1960s before being shut down in 1991.

The current state of the decommissioned Islip Fuel Depot (Image: Barwood Development Securities Ltd and NCM Real Re)

Under approval conditions, the developer must contribute almost £5m to local services, councils and police, under S106 contributions.

More than £300,000 will go towards local services. This includes improvements to Household Waste Recycling, Kidlington Library and Islip Medical Practice, or an identified primary care project in the local area.

The district council requested more than £1m in contributions towards enhancing community hall facilities, outdoor and indoor sport provision, a community development worker and fund, and public art.

Oxfordshire County Council requested more than £3.6m in financial contributions, including almost £3m towards primary and secondary education.

Thames Valley Police requested more than £30,000 towards additional staff, vehicles, premises, equipment and ANPR cameras.

In the case officer’s report, Katherine Daniels noted that while the proposal would result in the development of a substantial site on the edge of the village with some landscape and visual harm, weight is given to the benefits.

One of those is the council not being currently able to demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing land.

She said: “The delivery of market housing attracts significant positive weight and the affordable housing provision attracts very substantial positive weight given the acute need for affordable homes across the District.

“National policy and guidance recognise the pressing need to provide accommodation for older persons and specialist housing to meet changing demographics. The proposal would make an important contribution towards addressing that need.”

Weight is also given to the redevelopment of the “largely redundant” brownfield site.

Illustrative views of the proposed development at the decommissioned Islip Fuel Depot (Image: Barwood Development Securities Ltd / NCM Real Re)

She said: “The proposal would secure remediation of contaminated land, environmental improvements and the beneficial reuse of previously developed land in accordance with national and local planning objectives.”

The site was first thought to be within Oxford Green Belt but officers concluded the site constitutes Grey Belt land.

She said: “The proposal would not result in unacceptable impacts in respect of highway safety, heritage assets, ecology, flooding, drainage, contamination, residential amenity or infrastructure provision.

“These matters can be appropriately addressed through planning conditions and planning obligations.”





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