We’ll Noel soon enough who’s joining Bake Off
PRUE Leith has revealed Noel Fielding has been given the deciding vote on who will replace Sandi Toksvig as his new Bake Off co-host.
The 61-year-old quit in January three years after she and Mighty Boosh star Noel, 46, took over from Mel Giedroyc, 51, and Sue Perkins, 50, when the show moved from BBC One to Channel 4.
Prue, 80, said: “I wish we knew who the new presenter is.
“We have all promised that Noel has got to OK the right person because if it does not work with Noel, it does not work. Noel is very spiky and funny and Sandi was perfect for him, so it is really hard.”
In her parting statement Denmark-born Sandi said: “Bake Off is a wonderful programme, which has already proved it can happily withstand a change of hosting personnel.
“The reason for that, of course, is that the true stars of the show are the bakers themselves. I wish everyone well.”
Noel replied: “I feel like Tom without Jerry, Mick without a Keith. I’m gonna miss you and the wonderful times we played in the tent. Double acts are rare and magical and working with you was a pleasure.”
Talking as she launched her new book The Vegetarian Kitchen at Chorleywood Memorial Hall in Bucks, Prue said 17,000 people applied to be in the last series of Bake Off.
She added: “You do it online and it is deliberately difficult.
“There is a time limit. You have to write as much as you can about baking. 17,000 finished it and there must be 50,000 who tried.”
And Bake Off fans are getting younger. Prue said: “A lot of children now watch the show.
“We have a bigger children’s audience who watch Bake Off than any of the children’s shows on television.
“I judged Children’s Bake Off and we got 5,000 applying. If you start baking at seven you will be pretty good by nine.”
Bake Off is back in August. Health adviser David Atherton, 36, was the surprise winner in last year’s series.