The Great British Bake Off semi-final spoilers follow.
The Great British Bake Off’s Prue Leith has broken her silence after being criticised for a comment she made about drowning kittens.
The judge for the Channel 4 show received backlash for an excerpt in her memoir, I’ll Try Anything Once, in which she recalled a memory where her mother forced her to drown a litter of newborn kittens.
Prue described the moment as “traumatic”, but fans were disturbed when the passage of text was released, leading to several complaints and calls for her to be replaced on the show.
In an interview with People, the judge said she became “public enemy No.1”, explaining how the criticism affected her.
“They don't read the story and they feed off each other. Somebody says, 'My God! That woman drowns kittens!' And it just spiralled from there,” she said. “I can't bear the thought that people on Twitter really think that I would want to drown kittens.
“It was so awful because people were saying things like, 'I'll never watch Bake Off again.' I mean, what's it got to do with Bake Off? Bake Off is the kindest, most inclusive, most friendly show in the world. They wouldn't have me on if they thought I was a kitten drowner.”
Related: The Great British Bake Off star Janusz Domagala has hilarious response to 'spring roll-gate'
It’s not the first controversy facing the show this year, with October 4’s Mexican-themed episode receiving criticism for its “outdated” and “stereotypical” depiction of the country’s culture.
On Tuesday (November 8), the finalists for this year’s series were revealed, with Syabira, Abdul and Sandro progressing from the semi-final at the expense of Janusz.
Following his elimination, he posted a heartfelt goodbye letter to the show and his fans, saying Bake Off was “the best experience of his life” while hoping his fans enjoyed his “Polish flair” in the tent.
The Great British Bake Off airs on Channel 4 in the UK. In the US, it's known as The Great British Baking Show, and streams on Netflix. Bake Off: An Extra Slice, hosted by Tom Allen and Jo Brand, airs on Fridays at 8pm on Channel 4.
