On Season 12 of “The Great British Bake Off” there’s a good bit of pot stirring — and it’s more than just batter.
The smash hit family show features a variety of contestant whisking towards the finish line — but the last thing viewers of the UK Channel 4 and Netflix series expect is drama, aside from the occasional undercooked cake or crumpet.
However, judge Prue Leith has caused a stir online after saying the decadent desserts are “worth every calorie.”
Social media watchdogs are now accusing the 84-year-old South African chef-restaurateur of repeatedly making “toxic” comments that are “triggering” to those with eating disorders.
“Prue Leith Stop Talking About Fat And Calories Challenge,” tweeted one viewer in jest. “I want to violently smack Prue Leith whenever she says ‘worth every calorie’ on bake off,” tweeted another.
“Prue Leith needs to learn that hot girls don’t count calories,” quipped one unimpressed viewer, while another chimed in: “Trying to resist the temptation to scream at my TV screen every time Prue Leith says a bake is “worth every calorie.’ Ughhhh.”
Although Leith was previously accused of purring X-rated pastry innuendo, the new wave of culinary criticism takes on a much darker tone.
“Mentions of calories can be triggering to people with or vulnerable to an eating disorder,” Tom Quinn, director of external affairs for eating disorder charity Beat, told UK outlet Unilad. “We know from the people we support that equating food with “good” or “bad” moral connotations can lead to feelings of guilt and shame, and can even encourage eating disorder behaviors. So, talk of food being ‘worth the calories’ is very unhelpful.”
Quinn continued, “We would strongly encourage Channel 4 to be conscious about the way food and exercise is discussed, for instance not mentioning calories or specific weights, in order to protect their audience.”
The Post has reached out to Leith’s reps for comment on the controversy.
Meanwhile, this isn’t the first time “Great British Bake Off” has generated backlash during Season 12. The show was also recently accused of forcing its first vegan contestant to use animal products in technical challenges on-screen.
“I was desperate to show the world vegan baking is just as exciting with the hope to inspire people to give it a go,” the baker, 19-year-old Freya Cox, wrote on Instagram. “For obvious reasons I wasn’t able to change the technical challenge as it would mean the whole show was unfair.”