Interview: Prue Leith, cook, writer, restaurateur, Great British Bake-Off judge and spectacle wearer

Simon Jones: What initially attracted you to Ronit Furst eyewear?

Prue Leith The colour. I wanted brightly coloured glasses and all the big opticians had very little quirky or brightly coloured specs, so I went into my local independent optician and had a good grouse to him. He promptly pulled out a Ronit Furst brochure and that was that. He ordered in the two I liked the best and I bought one.

SJ: How was the collaboration with Ronit Furst established?

PL: When I won Specsavers Spectacle Wearer of the Year, I immediately had a flood of questions about where I’d got my glasses. And comments from women saying things like ‘You are so brave. I’d love to wear specs like that, but I wouldn’t dare’ or ‘Ever since I turned 50, I’ve hardly worn any colour at all. I miss it.’ And messages suggesting I produce my own range of colourful eyewear.