Leith recalled enjoying her day on a boat near the Italian island of Sardinia, but things started to go awry after the engine gave out. “I couldn’t start it, and the wind was getting up. I thought, ‘This has the makings of a really bad novel,’” she told the outlet.At the time, Leith immediately started signally for help, but several onlookers misinterpreted her signs. “I’d be waving wildly, and they just waved back, thinking I was just being friendly,” she said. After a long day at sea, Leith was finally rescued by a local fisherman. “He was so angry with me. He said, ‘You tourists, you risk your lives. You could have drifted all the way to Corsica!’" she recalled.Leith mentioned that she was sunburnt and thirsty after being stranded, but the fisherman continued to scold her for almost floating away. She noted, “he was quite right, and I was very foolish.” Baking show enthusiasts are just glad she made it back safe and sound to continue her role on The Great British Baking Show, where she judges home bakers as they compete in various food challenges. Leith first joined the baking competition series in 2017, and although she enjoys the show, she doesn’t necessarily enjoy baking. Last month, Leith told PEOPLE, “Of course, I have made thousands of desserts and lots of wedding cakes, and I’m so interested in the skills, but that’s not what I would naturally do. I think they hired me because I have a great set of taste buds, not for my piping skills.”
