Dame Prue Leith’s daughter Lee Da Kruger has shared insight into the “idyllic” childhood she shared with her mother, the star of The Great British Bake Off.
The 80-year-old TV personality adopted then 16-month-old Cambodian baby Rida, now 48, with her late husband Lane Kruger, and raised her own son, Conservative MP Danny, 50, in the Cotswolds. I grew up with him (years old).
Lyda, who has since adopted two sons of her own with husband Matt, spoke exclusively to MailOnline and revealed her upbringing, growing up in a huge house with a nanny and “everything you could want”. “It was really amazing,” he recalled.
But while her mother may have been a top restaurateur and food writer, Prue often served mediocre dishes that would surely fail to win Paul Hollywood’s handshake.
“People always ask, ‘What did we eat?'” Lida said. Like everyone else, I remember eating fish fingers and baked beans and that disgusting frozen fish with parsley sauce. ”
However, she admitted that her late father, a South African writer who died in 2002 at the age of 80, was stricter when it came to discipline.
Dame Prue Leith’s daughter Lee Da Krueger has given a surprising insight into the “idyllic” childhood she had with her Great British Bake Off star mother (pictured with her)
The 80-year-old TV personality adopted then-16-month-old Lyda (pictured) in Cambodia with her late husband Lane Kruger, and raised her with her own son Danny in the Cotswolds.
she laughed. “My father was Edwardian, literally born in 1922, so when I remember my childhood he was very strict.”
“Meal times were set at a certain time every day and we had to go to bed incredibly early and sleep in the afternoon,” she now jokes, “It’s like heaven.” .
“We had some very strict rules that my father enforced, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s important to be punctual.”
Rieda also hosted the BBC’s Great British Menu for 11 years before joining the Great British Bake Off in 2017, replacing Dame Mary Berry. He also described how fiercely protective he was of his mother.
“That’s infuriating because you’re in public and instead of one person saying horrible things, it’s thousands of people saying horrible things.”
She continued, “So it’s upsetting and I want to protect her from things like that,” and then told her mother not to say certain things for a while to avoid controversy. I joked.
Proulx, who married John Playfair in 2016, infamously sent out a tweet congratulating 2017 Bake Off winner Sophie Faldo before the show aired, but she later described the day as “a day in my life”. “It was the worst day,” he said.
Lee Da also spoke about growing up as a Cambodian child in the lush Cotswolds, admitting that before she looked in the mirror, “I thought I was white.”
In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Lyda, who adopted two sons of her own with husband Matt, recalled her childhood as “absolutely amazing”.
But while her mother may have been a top restaurateur and food writer, Prue (pictured in 1991) was a run-of-the-mill cook who would surely fail to win Paul Hollywood’s handshake. often provided
But when it came to discipline, she admitted that her late father, a South African writer who died in 2002 at the age of 80, was a tougher parent (pictured with family).
“It didn’t matter, but I wanted what everyone else wanted: blonde hair, so I asked Father C.”Christmas I think it’s one year for a blonde wig. I just wanted to fit in because I always looked different from my family. ”
“When people ask me where I’m from, it never happens, because depending on my mood I’ll say, ‘I’m from Oxford.’ But then they ask me, ‘Where are you really from?’ ” Apparently this is common with adopted children. ”
Lida said she would encourage anyone to adopt, even if they are able to conceive naturally.
“After going through the process of IVF and adoption, the great thing about adoption is that at the end of the process, you have a child.”
She continued, “It may take a little while, but in the end you’ll have a child. IVF is soul-destroying in every sense of the word until you have a child.”
When asked if she thought it would be okay for her sons to meet their biological parents in the future, she replied: “Of course I think it’s very important. It’s part of your identity.” Ta.
“There should be no secrets, there is a place for everyone.”
Speaking on Katie Piper’s Extraordinary People podcast, Prue said: “I’ve always been close to Lee Da. Oddly enough, I think Lee Da is closer to my son than I am. But I don’t like him. I adore him and love him just as much, but I don’t see much of him.
“Li Da and I have always been very close, but we’re certainly closer now. And she’s very good at checking in with me every day to see if she FaceTimes. . So my grandchildren will never forget who Nana is.
Lida knew little about her biological family. Her parents were believed to be victims of the Killing Fields in Cambodia, where more than a million people were murdered by the Khmer Rouge regime between 1975 and 1979.
Prue Leith previously admitted she was closer to her adopted daughter Lyda than her biological son Daniel (pictured together in 2010)
Lida said she would encourage anyone to adopt, even if they are able to conceive naturally.
In 2020, mother and daughter made a documentary, Journey with my Daughter, about Li Da’s traumatic start to finding her biological family in war-torn Cambodia. (Photo provided)
According to orphanage officials, her mother was killed in a rocket attack and her father, a soldier, is missing.
In April 1975, the Khmer Rouge marched through the capital Phnom Penh, killing about two million Cambodians in the Killing Fields.
Just three days before the city fell, 6-month-old Reeda was carried out of the country in a basket at the feet of a U.S. military helicopter pilot on one of the last flights.
Ms Rieda followed her birth family alongside her mother in the 2020 Channel 4 documentary Prue Leith: A Daughter’s Journey.
During the filming of the film, Proulx said she gave her daughter a self-described “very British” upbringing and had little doubt that she could have connected Ly Da more with her Cambodian roots.
Viewers were impressed by Proulx’s honesty in admitting that she probably fell short in failing to foster a connection with Li Da and her own cultural roots, and spoke out about her “unconditional love” on GBBO. He praised the judge.
In April 1975, the Khmer Rouge marched through the capital Phnom Penh, killing about two million Cambodians in the Killing Fields.
Just three days before the city fell, 6-month-old Reeda was carried out of the country in a basket at the feet of a U.S. military helicopter pilot on one of the last flights.