Famous bakers ready to raise some dough...
As The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer returns to Channel 4, RACHAEL DAVIS hears from some of the stellar line-up heading into the tent
Tonight, Channel 4, 7.40pm
EVERY year, The Great British Bake Off graces our screens with a jawdropping display of baking talent, as a group of amateur bakers – with seriously expert skills – head into the famous white tent to bake their hearts out for judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith.
While the regular series is a source of great inspiration, the celebrity version – which has become a regular fundraiser for Stand Up To Cancer – tends to result in more funny moments than culinary finesse.
This year, 20 famous faces are braving the Bake Off tent, competing in signature, technical and showstopper challenges against their fellow celebs.
Split across five episodes, each cohort will have two days to bake their best and impress the judges.
Among those greasing their pans and whipping out their whisks for Stand Up To Cancer this time are: The Last Leg’s Adam Hills; actor Danny Dyer, comedian and author David O’Doherty; presenter Dermot O’Leary; comedian Fern Brady; TV presenter Gabby Logan; Radio 1’s Greg James; actor Joe Locke; comedian Leigh Francis; Spice Girl and patron of Women’s Aid Mel B; Dancing On Ice’s Oti Mabuse; broadcaster and writer the Rev Richard Coles; comedian Rhod Gilbert; broadcaster Sara Cox; comedian Suzi Ruffell, and presenter and documentary filmmaker Yinka Bokinni.
Alison Hammond, who made her tent debut on one of the celebrity specials and is now one of the cohosts, is certainly impressed. She says: “I’m totally in awe of this year’s celebrity bakers, all putting their baking skills, or in some cases lack of, under nationwide scrutiny to raise money for Stand Up To Cancer.”
She jokes: “As someone who proved to be something of a baking genius when I baked in the tent a few years ago, I was delighted to be able to show them the ropes and where the oven doors were.”
Prue adds: “Brace yourself for a delectable line-up of bakers, each with their own unique flair in the kitchen – some are, admittedly, a bit more flour-savvy than others!
“Filming this show was a delicious dose of fun, sprinkled with some unforgettable baking moments. I can’t wait for everyone to see it.”
The first famous faces to take up the challenge are former Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker, singer and actress Paloma Faith; broadcaster Spencer Matthews and broadcaster and satirist Munya Chawawa.
Alison and her co-host Noel Fielding will be trying not to distract them too much as they tackle their signature challenge, which involves cake pops.
Then it’s time for the dreaded technical, at they take on a twisted New York favourite.
The toughest test will probably be the showstopper, as the celebs are asked to create Paul and Prue in biscuit form.
Let’s hear from some of the celebrity bakers about their time in the tent.
Are you any good at baking?
Jodie Whittaker: No, but I’m starting to wonder if I might be slightly better than I give myself credit for.
Like, if you can follow a recipe, you can bake. But I couldn’t go offpiste and start designing my own thing.
Just to be a complete stereotype, I’m absolutely brilliant at Yorkshire puddings [Jodie was born in the Yorkshire village of Skelmanthorpe]!
Dermot O’Leary: I love cooking. I cook all the time as it really relaxes me... but I don’t bake that much.
Baking seems to be really scientific and exact but, I have to say, I’m really enjoying this, so I think I’m definitely going to take it up in some shape or form.
Greg James: We’ll find out! I’ve not baked, really, but I can follow instructions well, and I am enthusiastic.
But I’m not the sort of person who bakes for pleasure. Who knows, I might be when the show is finished. Or I might never want to do it again. I don’t think it really matters whether I’m a baker or not, I’m just going to have a nice time and hang out in the tent with Alison Hammond. What’s nicer than that?
Just to be a complete stereotype, I’m absolutely brilliant at Yorkshire puddings!
Have you all been practising?
Paloma Faith: I did practise the first challenge once at home. But I’m impatient, so I only did half of it, and got bored, and stopped.
I recently got diagnosed with ADHD [Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder], so I’m allowed to do those things now. I’ve got an excuse. Dermot: I did, I practised a little bit.
I didn’t practise anything in its entirety, and not under the pressure of time.
What strengths and weaknesses will you bring into the tent?
Greg: Strengths are that I really like having a nice time, and I really find everything quite funny.
So when I’m there, staring into the blue of Paul Hollywood’s devastatingly handsome eyes, I will find the whole thing quite funny and surreal.
The fact that the stuff I bake – and it won’t be very good – has to pass the lips of Prue Leith...
Dermot: I’d say I don’t take life particularly seriously. I don’t really mind if I win or lose, but when I’m doing it, I try to do it to the best of my ability. And I’m not a bad cook, so I suppose that is a skill I’m taking in with me.
Weaknesses? I like to play around a little bit, which you can’t do with baking.
Jodie: My strength is that I am competitive, and I think you need a healthy competitive nature.
You can’t cross over into enjoying the annihilation of other people, but I think I’ve got a healthy sense of competition.
But that’s slightly cancelled out by lack of preparation.
Why is this cause important to you?
Greg: Because cancer affects every single person in the world’s life in one way or another, and it’s devastated the lives of my friends, and some family members, and there’s a good chance that I will have it at some point in my life.
It’s just a horrible cloud that lives over humanity, and anything we can do to help lift that cloud, or ease the pain, we should do it.
It’s too common and too ubiquitous, and that’s why Stand Up To Cancer is amazing, because it tackles it head-on, and puts on entertaining and silly things to raise awareness and money.
Paloma: One of my best friends [bandmate BB Bones] sadly passed away from stomach cancer last year.
I was with him until the very end and spoke to him on the phone seven minutes before he died.
I’d been on tour with him on stage, and I had the best tour of my career because I knew it was our last time playing together.
We never knew whether he’d be able to do it the next night, because it was very close to the end. He died not long after the end of the tour.
It was an absolutely amazing experience, because every night felt like it was so golden, so important.
It made us all feel the value of life, including him... I would love to raise money to prevent special people like that dying in the future.