DOUGHGETTERS!
STACEY DOOLEY AND ROB BECKETT ARE AMONG THE FRESH BATCH OF CELEBRITY COOKS TO BAKE OFF IN AID OF A GOOD CAUSE…
Some of Britain’s most famous faces enter Britain’s most famous tent, as The Great Celebrity Bake Off… returns. Matt Lucas is back to host the five-episode special – each of which sees four celebs battle it out over the usual three challenges. Among the 20 bakers hoping to impress judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith are Rob Beckett and Stacey Dooley. They told us about their baking skills – or, rather, the lack of them…
Hi, both! Can you bake? Stacey No! I’m particularly bad! I’ll be the weakest on the show. But we just need to raise awareness and make as much money as possible. As it’s for charity, you don’t mind making a fool of yourself.
Rob I tend to do all the normal family stuff, roast dinners…
Stacey I can make a roast, and I like pasta. I know a lot of people find baking cathartic, but I’m not one of them!
Rob I made vol-au-vents when I was about 12. My dad said, “That’s disgusting!” and spat it out. I haven’t baked since!
Did you not even bake during lockdown? Rob Nope, not even banana bread. Nothing.
Stacey I’m the only person in the UK who hasn’t been baking religiously since March! I reckon people think that I’m exaggerating, but I’ve honestly never baked as an adult.
Have you done any prep for the competition?
Rob No. I watched my wife do one of the challenges: she’s a really good baker. But I haven’t done anything. Stacey Nor me, which was very foolish, because I get the impression that the people I’ll be in the tent with – it’s not the first time they’ve done it. I’m coming at it totally fresh. But I wonder if that’ll make me better. It’s all about precision, isn’t it? Maybe it’ll help that I’ll stick so firmly to the recipe.
Let’s hope that plan works out for Stacey, since also included in the running for the coveted Star Baker apron across the run are James McAvoy, Dame Kelly Holmes, Katherine Ryan, Anneka Rice, John Bishop, Reece Shearsmith, Ade Adepitan, and The Voice UK judge Anne-Marie, to name just a few. In this week’s opener, Rob will be up against Star Wars actor Daisy Ridley, singer Alexandra Burke and comedian Tom Allen – co-host of Bake Off: The Professionals and Bake Off: Extra Slice…
Rob, will your history with Tom add to the rivalry? Rob Yeah, we went to school together, so it’ll be fun to be with him, because he should
know what he’s doing! It’ll be funny if I’m better than him, won’t it? I don’t care about the others, just as long as I can beat Tom!
And Stacey, how badly do you want to win? Stacey I’m not bothered for something like this, because we’re all here for charity. If I wanted to pursue baking, I’d give it everything, but I don’t think that’s going to happen!
Why is the SU2C charity so important to you? Stacey Everyone’s got their stories that revolve around losing someone to cancer or battling cancer, so it’s an obvious cause to get behind. And it’s a great show, so I feel lucky to be a part of it. Rob If you can muck about with your mates in a tent, and that has any impact on awareness or raising money, then that’s amazing!