NewsBeat
Prue Leith says weight loss jab was a ‘waste of money’
Dame Prue Leith, the 86-year-old television cook, has revealed her surprising experience with the weight loss injection Mounjaro, stating she “did not lose a single pound” despite trying the medication for a month. The culinary icon admitted the jab “didn’t do anything” for her, contrasting sharply with her husband’s significant success.
Despite her personal outcome, Dame Prue expressed her belief that the treatment is “worth a go”, having been inspired by her retired fashion designer husband, John Playfair. He reportedly lost “three stone and is healthier than anything” after using Mounjaro, prompting her to think, ‘oh, well, maybe I’ll have a go’.
However, the broadcaster confessed her lack of adherence to instructions was the likely culprit. She admitted to the Press Association: “I tried, but it didn’t do anything. I didn’t read the instructions.” Dame Prue explained she inadvertently consumed only around 200 calories daily, leading her body into “starvation mode”.
She elaborated: “I reckon I was eating 200 calories a day, which I didn’t realise. And what your body then does is it simply says, ‘this is starvation. I mustn’t let anything go’. I did not lose a single pound. So I lost no weight, although for two weeks I was eating almost nothing.”
Reflecting on the experience, she concluded: “I don’t think I need to (use it). It’s bloody expensive, and I think if it’s not going to work, it’s a waste of money.”
The revelation comes as Dame Prue also discusses her dietary habits in her latest book, Being Old…And Learning To Love It! She shared that during her tenure on Channel 4’s Great British Bake Off, she never gained weight, attributing it to a diet of cake and red wine.
She told PA: “Cake and wine go together. I mean, it’s obviously not a diet to be recommended. It worked fine for me. It’s only 10 weeks of my life, and it’s only two days of every week. It’s not seven days a week. For 20 days, I lived on cake and wine.”
Last month, Dame Prue announced her decision to step down as a judge from the popular baking competition after nine years. Her primary reason for leaving was the show’s summer filming schedule, which she wishes to dedicate to holidays in Europe. She expressed: “I could have happily gone on doing it forever. I know I would miss it, but I’m running out of time.”
Cookbook author Nigella Lawson was recently confirmed as her replacement, a choice Dame Prue wholeheartedly endorsed. She commented: “(Nigella) is going to be absolutely brilliant. She’ll be very different, but she’s a class act. She really knows what she’s doing.”
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Beyond Bake Off, Dame Prue’s illustrious six-decade career includes judging Great British Menu and extensive involvement in food education, earning her a damehood in 2021 for her services to food, broadcasting, and charity.