The Bake Off ’s Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding speak to heat
Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig have big choux to fill (sorry), but they’re up for the challenge, as Kay Ribeiro finds out
Of all the TV jobs to take over, Mel & Sue’s GBBO presenting gig must be one of the most daunting. For six years, the nation’s favourite pun-loving duo, Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, kept us thoroughly entertained as they encouraged 12 aspiring bakers through the gruelling challenges of bread lions and baked Alaskas. Now, as the show settles into its new Channel 4 home, unlikely double act Sandi Toksvig (QI host and gigantic brain owner) and Noel Fielding (surreal comedian, musician and flamboyant clothes wearer) are taking up the mantle.
In the flesh, the first thing that strikes us is how incredibly well Noel, 44, and Sandi, 59, get on. Throughout our chat, they often descend into squawks of laughter, and their affection for one another is clear. The second thing that occurs to us is how charming ponchowearing Noel is and how insanely blue his eyes are. Although, Sandi, who’s busily knitting (she’s already made judge Prue Leith a wool baker with a hat and cupcake, and is now working on a dog) informs us that nobody really has blue eyes – they’re brown. No, we don’t understand, either.
The pair might not seem the most likely of couplings, but there’s no denying they have great chemistry and all the warmth of a freshly baked loaf. And while they understand the massive undertaking and stakes at risk (“It’s a wonderful, much-loved show and you wouldn’t want to wreck that,” Sandi muses), it’s not going to stop them having fun and
enjoying every second of it. And for what it’s worth, we cannot wait.
Were you both nervous about taking on this gig?
Sandi: No, you just have to be yourself and enjoy what you do. The four of us [with Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood] have a wonderful time together, we love being in the tent and we love the bakers. I don’t think I had a moment of thinking, “Oh God, this is terrifying.” I had a moment of thinking, “Lucky me! How great!” And lucky Noel, obviously.
Noel: Very lucky Noel. S: Can I just say one of the most exciting moments of my life was being in heat magazine once. I can’t tell you how my street cred went up with my kids. It was just phenomenal.
When was that?
S: I was “wedding guest of the year”, because I went to David Mitchell’s wedding in a top hat and tails. On the invite, they’d put morning suit, but it didn’t say what women were meant to wear, so I wore a morning suit! I was in your magazine and my children were thrilled.
N: I wasn’t invited to David’s wedding, so I was furious.
Have you always watched the show?
N: I came to it in a really weird way, because Serge from Kasabian said to me, “You should get on Bake Off, it’s really good.” I was really surprised he was into it and then I watched one and got hooked. I was thinking, “That’s quite a good job, isn’t it? I wonder if I can take out Mel or Sue?” [Laughs.] Then a month later, they offered me the job. Strange.
Do you know either of them?
N: I was doing Taskmaster with Mel and I’m good friends with her. She kept saying, “What are you doing next?” And I wasn’t allowed to say anything.
Was it awkward sending her a text afterwards?
N: Mel was very supportive and said, “Ooh, I feel I should pass you some sort of baton or a baguette.” She said it’s a lovely job – there’s lots of cake, lots of time to sit in the sun in a deckchair, I’ll have a blast. Yesterday, she sent me a text and said, “Ah, I miss everyone. Pinch Paul on the bum for me.”
Have you done that?
N: [Smiles.] Yeah, obviously.
What have fans said?
S: The public have been very lovely and positive and supportive. N: Yeah, lots of van drivers going, “Go on, Noel, smash the Bake Off.” I think that’s positive. Not smash it up, smash it. Everyone’s been really kind.
So, you didn’t get any negative tweets?
S: I haven’t read a single tweet. I wouldn’t know where to begin. If it’s not in a leather-bound book, I couldn’t give a damn.
N: You have to be strong to look at social media. It can be quite brutal. So, it’s probably best to unplug and disappear somewhere to a faraway destination.
S: Aren’t we going to Venice?
N: [Laughs.] We’re going to Venice. You’ve just given it away! S: Oh, shit. N: [Laughs.] You know they have Twitter in Venice, right?
S: Yeah, but it’s all wet. It’s waterlogged. You can’t read it properly.
What were your first impressions of Prue and Paul?
N: We can’t believe how cool Prue is.
S: She’s so lovely, she’s great. Seriously, the four of us have just had such a laugh.
N: Paul is so welcoming, too. Considering he’s the only original member, he’s been so open. I’ve only known him from watching the show and you think he might be a bit scary, but he’s the absolute opposite, he’s so lovely. You get hypnotised by his beautiful eyes. I sort of drift off, wake up and I’m ironing his shirt.
S: We tease him, “Mr Paul, Lord Paul.”
N: The thing about Paul is he knows the show so well, it’s such a brilliant balance. And he hasn’t once told us what to do. He’s always there if you’re feeling a bit stressed and you don’t know how to do something. He’ll give advice, which is amazing, as it’s his show. He could just say, “No, you’re not doing that.”
S: It’s just been so wonderful.
How good are you at calming down the contestants?
N: Well, we try, don’t we? S: We genuinely have affection for them. N: I think the key is that we try to make sure they’re OK all the time, not just when the cameras are on. We don’t just do it when the competition is on. S: And in the morning, when they arrive, we’re all pleased to see each other.
You clearly have brilliant chemistry. Did you have an immersion session?
N: You know what, in comedy, you either have that chemistry or you don’t. Some people just don’t have it and you can’t force it. We could tell straight away, couldn’t we?
S: Yeah, and what’s been interesting is that we have very different styles and, well – you’ll see when you watch the show – we’ve found the middle ground that makes both of us cry with laughter, which we would never have otherwise have discovered. Is that fair?
‘Serge from Kasabian told me that I should get into Bake Off ’ Noel
N: Yeah, absolutely. S: We found this sort of silly thing in the middle.
N: I remember going home and saying, “I did want this job, obviously, but now I’ve met Sandi, I really want it.” In my head, I was thinking, “This could be really good. I think we might actually be able to pull this off.”
What’s the best thing you’ve learned about each other?
N: Well, someone from Channel 4, and I think this is very perceptive, said we’re like a married couple. I’m the woman and Sandi’s the man. [Both crack up.]
S: I’m totally fine with that. I take all the rubbish out, that’s what’s happening.
N: So, we’re just the most modern couple, really.
S: Yes, we’re like an übergender-fluid couple.
N: What a quote – there’s your headline there.
What’s surprised you most about the show?
S: I don’t think people know how much we shoot. I don’t think they know how many cameras there are, and that they’re hidden up in the roof of the tent, and that it’s sort of relentless. And they may not know that there’s another kitchen behind where they make the Perfect Perfects, and they have a secret store of cheese, and I’m obsessed with cheese.
N: I think Sandi might be part mouse.
S: Yeah, and you have to make sure you zig zag through the tent avoiding all the cameras, so nobody can see you sneaking back for cheese. That’s quite a skill.
N: The tent itself, when you first go in and you’ve only seen it on telly, it doesn’t disappoint. It’s so much bigger. You think it’s going to be really small, but it’s not, it’s like a reverse Tardis. It’s a lovely place to come to work – the grounds and the house and the river at the back, and there’s ducks and this amazing pond. It’s such a beautiful atmosphere. And when the sun shines, there’s nowhere you’d rather be. You have to pinch yourself a bit.
How much cake do you actually get to eat?
S: There’s got to be a limit. We’ve now bought clothes for me in six different sizes, and I’m going to work my way up as we go through.
N: They’re all in the dressing room, like Russian dolls.
Will you be showcasing any food-related clothes?
N: Yeah, I hope so. I’m trying to throw in a few food-related shirts with nice colours without crossing the line into Timmy Mallet territory.
S: We have a wonderful woman who looks after us and picks out our clothes, and as I was leaving to go on set, she put her hand under my chin and went, “What colour are you wearing?” I said, “I have no idea, I haven’t even looked down!” She said, “You don’t even know if it’s a shirt or a jumper. What is wrong with you?” I said, “I’ll leave all that to Noel.”
How good are you at keeping secrets? Have your friends probed you for gossip?
N: My friends have probed me a bit and I’ve learnt to quite quickly say, “I can’t tell you anything,” because you don’t want it to be you if something comes out.
S: It’s best not to say anything. It’s going to be hard when you know the winner before we do, then… N: [Smiles.] I know. I’m just going to lock myself in a trunk. S: The good thing is I can be quite vague. I’ll probably forget who it is. n