"We are only interested in the final product" — The Great American Baking Show judge Prue Leith shares a rare judging rule

Prue Leith recently returned as a judge on The Great American Baking Show season 3, which premiered on April 11, 2025, on Roku. She joined Paul Hollywood once again as they evaluated a fresh batch of contestants competing for the title of America’s Best Amateur Baker.

As part of the show’s promotion, in an interview with FoodSided published on April 12, Prue opened up about a rare judging rule. She shared that while the viewers are concerned about how the contestants prepare their bake, the judges are only interested in the final product and not how they got there.

“I think from a television point of view, the most fascinating thing is watching how they do it, how they get there. From my point of view, we are only interested in the final product. We do not care how they get there,” she said in the interview.

The Great American Baking Show judge added that sometimes she and Paul watch back the episodes and often find themselves in "absolute horror."

Prue emphasized that on the show, the judges can only assess the final product and not the mess made during the baking process. While she doesn’t mind a messy kitchen from a contestant on the show, she admitted she would care about it if she were hiring a baker in real life.

---

The Great American Baking Show judge Prue Leith comments on the connection among the contestants

During this conversation with FoodSided, the interviewer asked Prue Leith why The Great American Baking Show was both enjoyable and aspirational.

In response, Prue said that anything that encourages people to get into the kitchen was a good thing, suggesting that the Roku cooking show was one such inspiration.

The Great American Baking Show judge further stated that there was a "nice spirit in the baking show" and pointed out how the viewers get to see the joy that the bakers get from what they prepare.

Additionally, she shared that contestants often bond very quickly and indulge in moments where they work as a team rather than as competitors.

“People see the joy that bakers get from what they are doing. There is such a nice spirit in the baking show. They bond very quickly and there are moments where they are a team rather than competitors. I think those moments are very inspiring,” she said.

Prue noted that people like to see contestants working together and teasing each other during the competition. However, she highlighted that the two judges of the show also try to maintain a healthy relationship with each other.

The 85-year-old restaurateur shared that she and her fellow The Great American Baking Show judge, Paul, have a lot of respect for each other. She praised Paul's baking knowledge and emphasized how the judge is keen on getting other people to enjoy baking.

“We both respect each other a lot. There is no doubt that Paul is the most knowledgeable and best baker I have ever met. He is keen on getting other people to enjoy baking. He wanted me as a fellow judge because he wanted someone who knew what they were talking about,” she said of the fellow judge.

Further in the interview, Prue shared that the judges only focus on the bake that the contestant prepares, rather than analyzing how they got to the point or if they had created any mess in the process.

“All we can do is judge the final outcome, that perfect cake. I might not appreciate the messy cook if I was interviewing him for a job, but that is not the point,” The Great American Baking Show judge concluded.

---

The Great American Baking Show season 3 episodes are available on Roku.