Some extra Spice for Bake Off: Emma to present US spin-off
THE American version of Bake Off is to get an extra helping of spice.
Former Spice Girl Emma Bunton is to present The Great American Baking Show – alongside former American football star Anthony Adams, whose nickname is Spice.
The series also features Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood.
Miss Bunton, 42, revealed her new role yesterday during her morning radio show on Heart.
The former Baby Spice confirmed that filming has already begun.
She said: ‘Oh my goodness, dream job, dream job. I get to host The Great American Baking Show.
‘It’s a holiday edition so it’s around Christmas and who loves Christmas more than me? So basically, it’s Christmas cakes, pastries, biscuits... which now I have to call cookies.
‘My friends came down and I was filming one bit. I get to taste everything. She took a picture of me eating this huge chocolate eclair.
‘People on Bake Off don’t really tend to eat too much. And I was there like: “Can you put that in my trailer please? I want to eat that after”. It’s amazing. Just being in the famous tent. It took me a week to get used to being in the tent.’
Miss Bunton said she had so far enjoyed working with Hollywood, but joked about his reputation for judging contestants harshly.
‘Paul is great fun,’ she said. ‘He’s got a great sense of humour. I did watch out for him, though. I know he can be trouble. Don’t look in his eyes.’
The Great American Baking Show was taken off air mid-series last year after allegations of sexual harassment surrounding judge Johnny Iuzzini. The pastry chef, who denied the allegations, had been a judge in all three previous series of the show, which is screened on ABC. The programme is made by Love Productions, who make Bake Off for Channel 4.
Miss Bunton, a judge on the ABC talent show Boy Band last year, said moving to cover baking for US viewers has meant minding her words.
“There was this whole biscuit week and I was like ‘It’s biscuit week’ and they were ‘Oh no, it’s cookie week’ and I was like, ‘Hang on, I’m the expert in biscuits’.”