Prue Leith, the host of The Great British Baking Show, has decided to speak out on the criticism that has been leveled against the show’s Mexican week episode.

The original purpose of Leith’s interview with The New Yorker was to promote her new cookbook, Bliss on Toast. However, when the cooking competition show came under fire earlier this month for its themed episode, which viewers have claimed is full of offensive stereotypes, The New Yorker decided to follow up with one of the judges on the show.

She stated that “there would have been absolutely no aim to insult,” and went on to explain that the judges were the ones who decided what the obstacles would be for the themed competitions. “That’s not in keeping with the vibe of the show at all.”

Leith also discussed, in a separate interview, the upbeat and positive tone of the series, which is distributed by Netflix. “In my opinion, the Bake Off phenomenon as a whole is nothing short of fantastic. This is somewhat of a cliche statement to make, but I truly believe that the majority of the time, it is a force for good “— I quote her.

When Perry learned this, he decided to send her “three dozen red roses” along with a letter that stated, “The only thing more thrilling than the idea of you doing the program is that I finally have an excuse to send you flowers.”

The recipient received “tons and lots of bagels” as a response from Roberts.

The two then began what Katy Perry refers to as a “three-month romance” through daily faxes (before email and text) while she was working on a film in France before her debut on Friends. Perry says that the two were “inseparable” at this time.

According to Perry says, “three or four times a day I would sit by my fax machine and watch the piece of paper slowly disclosing her next missive.” “I was so pumped up that on occasion when I was out at a party and having a witty back-and-forth with an attractive woman, I would find myself having to cut the conversation short so that I could get home and check to see whether a new fax had arrived. I couldn’t contain my enthusiasm. There was a nine out of ten chance that one had.”

They had already started dating at the time that they filmed the episode for the Super Bowl. According to Perry, he traveled to New Mexico with Roberts to spend the new year with her and meet her family in 1996. This trip took place in New Mexico. He says in his writing, “I did let her in, both figuratively and literally, and that’s how our connection got started.”

“It was almost as if she had been put on this earth solely for the purpose of putting a smile on everyone’s face, including mine, in particular. I was beaming like a young man on his first date, even though I was only 15 years old “Then he says.

But after only two months of dating, Perry ended his relationship with the actress. “Having a relationship with Julia Roberts became too much for me to handle. I had an unshakeable conviction that she would end our relationship at some point during our time together. Why wouldn’t she just do that? I wasn’t good enough; there was no way I could ever be good enough; I was flawed, deformed, and unlovable “he is a writer, Therefore, in order to avoid the unavoidable misery of being without her, I decided to end my relationship with the lovely and talented Julia Roberts.

In addition, “It’s possible that she thought she was dating below-average material until she started seeing a TV host, who is now splitting up with her. The expression of bewilderment that was on her face is beyond my ability to adequately describe.”

In the book, which is set to be released on November 1, Perry describes the time he was “sweating and twitching” in rehab while watching Roberts win her Oscar for her role in Erin Brockovich. He was there with other patients at the time. Roberts won the award for her performance in the film.

He was overcome with emotion, and he cracked a joke as a result. “‘I’ll take you back,’ I said. ‘I’ll take you back.’ Despite the fact that this would not have been considered a witty line in a sitcom, the entire room burst out laughing. This was the real world at this point. Those individuals I saw on TV could no longer be considered my people. No, the folks that were surrounding me while I was shaking and wrapped in blankets were my people now “he is a writer

After a decades-long struggle with opiates and alcohol, as well as 15 stays in rehabilitation facilities, Perry acknowledges in his biography that he is thankful and blessed to still be alive.

She went on to say that “everything we do in life is a bit stressful,” citing the fact that “we are always short of time,” “we are always short of money,” and “there are all sorts of dreadful things occurring all over the world.” “And Bake Off is this secure environment in which the worst that may happen is that somebody will drop their bake. And everyone will feel empathetic towards you!”

Bakers were given the challenge of producing pan dulce, beef tacos, and a tres leches dessert during the episode which attracted criticism. At the beginning of the hour, hosts Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas appeared wearing sombreros and serapes. “I don’t think it’s appropriate for us to make jokes about Mexico. Fielding predicted that people would become agitated, to which Lucas retorted, “What? No jokes at all about Mexico? Not even Juan?”

Contestants messed up the pronunciation of words like guacamole and pico de gallo for the entirety of the show.

Tweets regarding the controversial event were posted by author Julie Powell. “I have just finished watching the Great British Baking Show episode devoted to Mexican Week, and my my, it was excruciating. It is offensive on many different levels “she had written.

Fielding inquired on the existence of Mexico at a later point in the program, stating, “So, is Mexico a genuine place?” in response to which Lucas said, “Yes, in my opinion. I think it’s like Xanadu.”

A person under the handle @KaibaLordYGO on Twitter was similarly critical of the episode, writing, “This was a very insulting episode coming from the mouth of a Mexican. Every single one of the jokes and cliches.”

Another user of Twitter, @NinaNyxa, expressed a similar level of frustration by posting, “Great British Baking Show is now off my television viewing list forever. The study of foreign civilizations is serious business.”

Ana Navarro, a co-host on The View, has shared on Twitter contrasting points of view. “I absolutely adore “The Great British Bake Off,” and my ideal celebrity would be Paul Hollywood. To tell you the truth, the way they portrayed Mexicans did not bother me in the least “she had written. “I thought it was a bit trite. On the other hand, the offenses they perpetrated against tacos and tres leches made me angry. ¡Que horror!”

PEOPLE attempted to contact Netflix and Channel 4 for comment at the time that the show was being broadcast, but did not immediately hear back from any of them.

The crowd reaction on the baking show has been polarizing before, and it won’t be the first time. In the year 2020, during “Japanese Week,” several viewers voiced their disapproval of the comments made by the show’s hosts, participants, and judges.

During the course of the show, Lucas referred to katsu curry as “cat poo curry” when describing one of the bakes prepared by the other contestants.

In an Instagram Reel, author Kat Lieu of the account @subtleasian.baking created a comparison and contrast between the two episodes. She wrote a piece titled “Why I’m not surprised about the debacle that was Mexican week.” When they pretended that they were serving Indian and Chinese food during the Great British Bake Off’s Japanese Week episode.