‘He was the most important person in my life’: Prue Leith, 83, reveals she had a secret 13-year affair with a family friend
Major British Bake Off star Prue Leith has spoken out about the 13-year affair she had with her husband, Rayne Kruger.
Prue, 83, and author Rayne were married from 1974 to 2002 before he passed away at age 80.
But their long marriage started as an affair. Prue has written about their relationship in her new autobiography Relish.
Speaking about her decision to reveal everything in the memoir, Prue explained that she didn’t want to be “discreet” about her personal life, stating, “If there are things in your life that you’re not exactly proud of, but they would be interesting are for the reader, you should try to tackle that.’
Speaking out: Great British Bake Off star Prue Leith has spoken out about the 13-year affair she had with her husband, Rayne Kruger
First love: The South African chef was married to author Rayne Kruger from 1974 to 2002 and shared two children, before passing away at age 80
Speaking to Kate Thornton on the White Wine Question Time podcast, Prue explained, “I thought, ‘You know, to skip it when Rayne was the most important person in my life…how could I not have been all tell a story?” So I did.’
Prue teamed up with Rayne, who was married at the time to the late South African actress Nan Munro – Prue’s mother’s best friend.
“I never asked him to leave his wife because I was very happy,” she explained of their affair.
“I had none of life’s duties and all the pleasures of someone who loved me. I didn’t insist on marriage. We had 13 secret years and no one ever guessed because we were discreet.”
“But in a way it was easier because he was a family friend, president of my company, and he had helped me a lot and everyone knew we were good friends.”
In the end, Rayne left his wife to start a life and family with Prue. They share son Danny and daughter, Li-Da.
Amazingly, the pair remained close friends with Nan, who forgave them for the affair, with Prue calling her “an extraordinary woman.”
After Rayne’s death, Prue, who was 62 when he died, married again in 2016 her current husband, retired English fashion designer John Playfair, which she hadn’t expected.
In the past, Prue has spoken frequently about her relationship with John and has spoken candidly about their sex life before.
During an interview with Loose Women, the chef shared details as he discussed the recent finding that millennials are having less sex. Saira Khan asked her about the recent find and replied with a giggle, “Give it a try, it’s quite delicious.”
Love: After Rayne’s death, Prue, who was 62 when he died, remarried her current husband, retired English fashion designer John Playfair (pictured in 2018) in 2016
During an interview with The sun, she said: ‘Older people find that rather romantic and charming. Younger people think, “Good God, are they really still at it?”
She added, “It sounds a bit pompous to say, but it’s very healthy that older women like me aren’t expected to just sit in a corner and knit.”
Prue began her career at the Cordon Bleu Cookery School in 1960 and opened her Michelin-starred restaurant, Leith’s, nine years later.
After becoming a food columnist, she turned her talents to writing cookbooks and was a successful novelist. She is now a judge for The Great British Bake Off.