Viewers of The Great British Bake Off were confused when Prue Leith said she is not a big fan of sweet things during caramel week.

The new judge, who replaced Mary Berry on the baking programme when it moved from BBC One to Channel 4, also raised eyebrows when she asked fellow judge Paul Hollywood how he can eat so much caramel.

Leith’s confession came when she tasted contestant Steven’s millionaire shortbread during the signature challenge.

She said: “For me, I love that caramel, I like the bitterness of it, I don’t really like sweet things.”

Stunned, one viewer wrote on Twitter: “You don’t like very sweet things, Prue? What program do you think you’re judging? Great British Savoury Off? Get out.”

Another said: “Prue: ‘I don’t like sweet things..’

“PRUE THIS IS BAKING SHOW ABOUT CAKES. DID YOU READ THE JOB DESCRIPTION?”

One added: “‘I don’t like really, really sweet things,’ says Prue. Hate to break this to you but you’re on the wrong show love.”

“‘I don’t really like sweet things’ says Prue, the judge on a baking show,” another said along with a sarcastic meme.

One shared their surprise that Leith has “literally been hired to judge very sweet things!”, and many others asked why she is on the programme.

While tasting baker Liam’s Tetris-inspired millionaire’s shortbread, Hollywood gladly took a huge bite, which surprised Leith.

“Can you really eat that much caramel?” she asked him.

Once again, fans were baffled by her comment, with one writing on Twitter that they were unimpressed with Leith’s “caramel-shaming in this episode”.

“Ugh, Prue is totes one of those people who undermines you when you’re eating cake… ‘Can you really eat that much caramel?’ #stepoff #GBBO,” another fan fumed.