Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith says she could not sleep for days after accidentally revealing the show’s winner early.

Leith, 77, was in Bhutan when she tweeted her congratulations to Sophie Faldo, hours before the Channel 4 final.

She told RTE’s The Ray D’Arcy Show that the nation’s prime minister Tshering Tobgay called her after the error.

“He was rather pleased because I said Bhutan. It was good for tourism I think,” Leith said.

After the gaffe, the show’s judge had told the Press Association: “I’m in Bhutan. The time difference is massive. I thought that they got it six hours ago.

“I’m in too much of a state to talk about it. It was a mistake. I f***** up.”

Now she has said that when she realised what she had done she tried to delete her tweet.

“I was in such a panic I couldn’t work my phone. I couldn’t delete it,” Leith said.

“So I rang my secretary and she said: ‘Don’t worry, I have already done it’ – 89 seconds afterwards but it was too late.”

Leith said everyone at Bake Off and Channel 4 was very supportive, but added: “It was days before I could sleep properly.”