Mel told Noel: Take Bake Off
NOEL Fielding was advised to take the Great British Bake Off job by ex-host Mel Giedroyc.
Rather than being as bitter as a lemon sponge when he was offered the gig earlier this year, Mel spoke to and texted Noel, who is a friend. A show source said: “Mel is a big fan of Noel and encouraged him to take the role. “It may well have been one of the deciding factors for Noel, as he knew he might be a controversial choice. They are good friends and Mel only has positive things to say about Noel and wishes him the best of luck on Bake Off.” The pair were on screen together on the latest series of Taskmaster, which started on Dave last night and saw them both destroy a cake as part of the tasks. Mel smashed hers to pieces after joking “this is good territory”. But it could be the last time we see her on TV with a cake. Sob! Square Eyes can also reveal that once Bake Off is on Channel 4 with all its changes, former Mighty Boosh and Never Mind the Buzzcocks star Noel is unlikely to tune in for the series. Asked if he watches himself on TV, he says: “I don’t mind it, but it’s a bit weird. “I don’t really any more. Unless it’s something I make – like a crafted weird narrative I’ll watch but I don’t really watch myself on panel shows. Hey, look there’s me doing what I always do, chatting away! Like an embarrassing idiot. “I’ll watch this because I’m very inquisitive to know what other people did to see what happened, but I know I’ve embarrassed myself as well as surprised myself.” He also revealed that he has judged his first cake as a result of his new friendship with Mel. Weighing up how well she might do on the whole Taskmaster series, he said: “Mel bakes, so maybe she’s very practical. I’ve tasted her cakes, they’re good.” Let’s hope the contestants’ cakes taste great too when Bake Off starts filming shortly.
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