Prue Leith revealed that she is considering changing her catchphrase following being criticised by campaigners against eating disorders for making jokes about calories during The Great British Bake Off.
Viewers have noted that Judge 81 often asks ‘Is the food worth it?’ as she quips about the contestants’ sweet treats.
Beat’s backlash has made the television chef reconsider the expression she says but isn’t sure why.
“I don’t understand why I use it!”‘: Prue L. Leith said that she might stop joking about calories in GBBO, after having been criticized by campaigners for eating disorders (pictured October 2021).
She told BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs: ‘I don’t know why I say it. This is just a way to express how much I love something. “Oh, that’s worth every calorie,” you’ll hear me say.
You know that Beat is a charity which tries to address eating disorders. You are told that you shouldn’t. People who suffer from an eating disorder feel guilt, unhappy and so they eat more. Perhaps I won’t say it anymore.
Beat urged Channel 4 to use more caution when using food-related terminology in October. It can cause viewers to become ‘triggering’.
Hot water: It has been noted by viewers that the judge, 81, has found herself a catchphrase in, ‘Is it worth the calories?’ She jokes about sweet treats and contestants.
Tom Quinn (director of external affairs for the charity) said that eating too many calories could trigger an individual with or at-risk of developing an eating disorder.
It is unhelpful to talk about food as “worth the calories.”
“We urge Channel 4 not to mention specific weights or calories when discussing food and exercise. This is to ensure that their audience’s safety.
Tom said to the Telegraph that Prue was a great listener and encouraged Prue to keep going the extra mile and stop using her catchphrase.
We have heard from people that eating food with moral connotations of “good” or “bad” can make us feel guilty and ashamed, which can encourage eating disorder behaviors.
“We believe there are 1.25 million UK people with eating disorders, so we think that removing this phrase from the program would benefit many.
Ah dear! However, Beat has caused Beat to reconsider her love for the expression she uses but isn’t sure why.