South Wales Echo

Baking’s cool. If you can bake, you’ll get friends

The Great British Bake Off is back – judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith tell GEMMA DUNN about its celebrity fans and new line-up

-

They’re not set up to find somebody who’s the ‘right ethnic mix’ or the ‘right height’ or the ‘right age’ or anything...

Prue Leith on the inclusivit­y of Bake Off

PAUL HOLLYWOOD is musing over some of The Great British Bake Off’s more well-known fans. “There’s a lot of celebritie­s, a lot of people that approach you. It’s crazy, where it’s got to...,” he begins.

“There were a couple of people on Instagram, a very famous American actress, who’d baked something,” he recalls, furtively.

“She sent a video and said, ‘I wonder what Paul Hollywood would say about this?’ And you’re going, ‘What?’

“And then you get people like Nick Mason, the drummer of Pink Floyd, who bakes all the time.

“I also remember getting a call from Ronnie Corbett years ago; he wanted to speak to me, he baked a lot of bread!” quips Paul, 53.

“Then there’s Taylor Swift. Keira Knightley... She once tried to bin off a premiere to go and watch the final of the Bake Off! It’s just incredible.”

But the Pride & Prejudice star is not the only one willing to sacrifice her plans – or every Tuesday evening for 10 consecutiv­e weeks, for that matter!

Last series it was reported an average live audience of 7.5 million people tuned in to see research scientist Rahul Mandal crowned the winner of the Channel 4 hit; a figure that doesn’t match up to its BBC1 days (the broadcaste­r totalled 14 million in 2016), but one not to be scoffed at.

Now back for a 10th season, its third since on Channel 4, the baking competitio­n is set to once again delight the nation, with judges Paul and Prue Leith, plus presenting duo Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig, returning for the ride.

As for the latest batch of amateur bakers, it’s a typically diverse crowd pitching up in the famous white tent, Prue teases.

“It’s a very inclusive show,” she states.

“But what’s so interestin­g is when the (production company) is choosing them, the main thing they want to know is that they’re getting the 13 best bakers in the country.

“They’re not set up to find somebody who’s the ‘right ethnic mix’ or the ‘right height’ or the ‘right age’ or anything,” insists the restaurate­ur-chef, 79.

“It’s just representa­tive,” Paul agrees. “We’ve always been proud of that from the very first series.”

But this year’s hopefuls showcase a younger demographi­c than most.

“They’re much younger and actually it’s been the hardest year judging, personally, for me, because it was all about detail,” admits Paul, who has been a staple of the show since its 2010 inception.

“You judge them in your head and mark them one to 10, and then in the next round they all do the opposite!” explains the Cheshire native.

“Then you have to sit around the table and decide who’s going to be star baker and who’s going to go.

“You have absolutely no idea, it could be any one of them!” “Paul’s right,” Prue chimes. “The number of times that the person who has won the technical or won the signature round comes last in the showstoppe­r, it happens over and over again.

“The hard thing for them is if they’re sent home because they’ve cocked up,” she empathises.

“They know it’s perfectly fair but they’re just so angry with themselves.”

But it’s not just youthful contestant­s getting a slice of the action – those watching at home spans generation­s, too.

“We know it’s cool to bake; you see it in schools,” says Hollywood, who shares a son with ex-wife Alexandra.

“I’ve been into schools in the past to judge and the reaction is incredible,” he reminisces. “I remember when I first walked in, I heard screams!

“Baking has become such a cool thing to do, and if you’re a girl, a young lad, if you can bake, you’ll get friends. Always.”

Even the judges have found themselves inspired.

“I’ve been amazed at how much more baking I’ve done since I’ve been on this show!” Prue confesses.

“I used to bake the odd cake,” she adds, “If someone was coming to dinner, I would make a polenta cake for pudding or whatever. But now I tend to nick the recipes from the bakers!”

She follows: “I pinched Steven Carter-Bailey’s caramel cake recipe and I took Paul Hollywood’s chocolate cake. I don’t even like chocolate cake!” she confides.

“But this particular cake is delicious.

“Now it’s one of the most popular things I bake because it’s the one I use for my grandchild­ren’s’ birthday cakes because they all like chocolate!” says the grandmothe­r-offour.

“We had a challenge a couple of years back which was a basket meringue cake, and I have done that in the past for a quick birthday thing or to go to a party,” Paul adds.

What about the future – can they see an end in sight for them, as judges, or the fan favourite itself?

Paul laughs that he still wants to be doing the show when he’s “a grumpy old man with a stick”.

“And my ambition is not so ambitious,” Prue responds.

“I just want to at least equal Mary Berry; she did seven years, so I’ve got another four years to go!”

 ??  ?? The Great British Bake Off presenters (left to right) Prue Leith, Paul Hollywood, Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig
The Great British Bake Off presenters (left to right) Prue Leith, Paul Hollywood, Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig
 ??  ?? The Great British Bake Off cast 2019 (rear left to right) Steph, Henry, Priya, Helena, Alice, Phil, and Rosie, (front left to right) Amelia, David, Michelle, Michael, Dan and Jamie
The Great British Bake Off cast 2019 (rear left to right) Steph, Henry, Priya, Helena, Alice, Phil, and Rosie, (front left to right) Amelia, David, Michelle, Michael, Dan and Jamie

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom