‘There is a lot of love in old age’: Prue Leith on why later life relationships are overlooked, and how you ‘can’t be happy’ without passion

Prue Leith is remarkably candid about everything from intimacy in later life and using testosterone for libido, to her thoughts about dying and what she'd like her death to look like.

She's recently shared her thoughts about the importance of love, insisting you "can't be happy without it," urging everyone to have some passion in their lives.

For Prue, romantic love is the type of love she appears to value the most. She was married to writer Rayne Kruger from 1974 until his death in 2002.

At the age of 70, Prue found love again with former clothes designer John Playfair, whom she met in 2011 and married in 2016. She often speaks candidly about the joy she's experienced during both marriages.

Discussing her current marriage in a recent issue of Hello magazine, Prue says, "Love is such an important part of everyone's happiness." She adds, "I don't think you can be happy without love."

However, she recognises the concept of love will look different for some people. If not romantic love, the cooking star urges others to find and ignite a personal passion.

"This can be something that really motivates you, whether it's oak trees or breeding dogs, but you have to have something you really love," she shares.

Before Prue married her first husband, they had a secret affair for 13 years, not only because he was married, but because Prue "didn't want a husband" - she was happy with the love she received with that distance in place.

Rayne had been 20 years her senior, and also the husband of her mum's best friend. The liaison began when Prue was 21, and she told Davina McCall during an episode of the Begin Again podcast that it began in earnest when "We were listening to some music and he just came over and kissed me."

Rayne eventually left his wife for Prue when she became desperate to start a family, and he had to make a choice. Despite how their relationship began, Prue will always remember Rayne as a "big love" and "an amazing man."

While fans might imagine Prue confidently marching into a new relationship in her 70s after her first husband's death, she explains the level of worry that actually came with dating again.

"What's surprising is that people don't get that falling in love at 70 is no different to falling in love at 17," she shares.

"It's exactly the same anxiety: 'Will he ring, shall I text him?'" she says. Despite the initial early relationship worries, Prue and John clearly adore spending as much time together as possible.

"He literally calls himself my bag carrier and comes with me everywhere I go," she reveals, explaining that her husband buys all of her clothes, and encourages her to display her vibrant necklaces by building her a "necklace wall" at their home.

"I'm very lucky," she says. Prue is also keen for young people to understand that love continues all through life, and doesn't just stop abruptly after a certain age.

"Young people think that any kind of romantic love stops at 40," she explains, adding, "but it's not true, there's a lot of love in old age."