There are baking competitions and there is The Great British Baking Show (The Great British Bake Off in the United Kingdom), which has been one of the best reality TV shows since its inception more than a decade ago. Over the years, the show has seen countless contestants attempt to pull off delectable and oftentimes impossible baking feats, as well as some great hosts who tie it all together.
However, hosts come and hosts go, which happens to be the case for Matt Lucas, who announced in December 2022 that he would be leaving the cooking competition series a little more than two years after joining the panel of judges. But worry not, as the Bridesmaids actor's replacement is just as prolific, and just as funny. Enter Alison Hammond.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of knowing Hammond or her work throughout her career, worry not, because we are about to break down five things to know about the new host of The Great British Baking Show…
The Future TV Presenter Got Her Start On The British Satirical Comedy Series Palace Hill
Though there will probably be some Netflix subscribers who will be meeting Alison Hammond for the first time when new Great British Baking Show episodes begin to drop in the near future, the longtime host of This Morning has been on television sets across the pond for more than 30 years now. It all got started for the future TV presenter back in 1988 when she appeared on the British satirical comedy program, Palace Hill.
The series, which started out as a segment on the children’s sketch show, Your Mother Wouldn’t Like it, parodying BBC drama series Grange Hill, eventually became its own entity. The show would spoof political figures of the era like Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, as well as the Royal Family. When speaking with Metro about the series on which she played an American character named Eskimo, Hammond said she wished Netflix would revive the series, saying she didn’t understand why ITV stopped it in 1990.
Alison Hammond Was A Contestant On Big Brother UK Back In 2002
There have been multiple incarnations of the Big Brother reality competition series over the years, including the long-running British version that has been on TV since July 2000 (it actually started one day before the American series). The series, which ended its original run in 2018 before being revived years later, per Variety, has seen its fair share of notable house guests, including Alison Hammond, who appeared on the show just before landing a gig on This Morning.
Hammond was a member of the third season of Big Brother back in the spring of 2002, but her time in the house didn’t last all that long. According to BBC News, Hammond was the second contestant to be evicted, finishing in 11th place overall.
It wasn’t all bad news though, as the following year, Hammond landed joined the British morning news program, This Morning. Hammond started out doing small stories and interviews, but has risen all the way to being one of the main Friday presenters, per The Sun.
The Longtime Host Of This Morning Once Had An Incredible And Hilariously Honest Interview With Harrison Ford And Ryan Gosling
Back in October 2017, when they were out promoting their then-upcoming sci-fi epic, Blade Runner 2049, the film’s stars, Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling, appeared on ITV’s This Morning for what would presumably be a typical interview on the morning news show. The actual interview was far more entertaining.
The interview, which starts off with Hammond admitting she had never seen the original Blade Runner, admittedly could have gone off the rails and very awkward, but it was anything but. Just watch the magic as it unfolds:
Ford and Gosling’s reactions to Hammond admitting she hadn’t seen one of the best sci-fi movies of all time are absolutely brilliant, as is everything that follows. Though she doesn’t get a proper question in, and they don’t get a chance to really answer, this is still one of the greatest interviews of all time, solely because of their chemistry. The little bottles of booze don’t hurt though.
Alison Hammond Made Her Feature Film Debut In the 2018 Animated Comedy Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
Though she had appeared in a number of scripted TV shows, in addition to her This Morning hosting duties and other appearances throughout her career, Alison Hammond didn’t make her feature film debut until 2018 when she landed a small voice role in Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation.
In May 2018, the TV personality took to her Instagram account (a well of comedy and good vibes that never seems to run dry) to announce her involvement in the animated picture from Sony Pictures, saying she was excited to work alongside Adam Sandler and Selena Gomez. Hammond would go on to voice Frankenginger in the UK version of the box office smash hit, one that some consider one of the best entries in the Hotel Transylvania franchise. Tara Strong would go on to voice the character in the US release.
The TV Presenter Confirmed Her Great British Bake Off Hosting Gig In A Hilarious And Unique Way
Seeing Alison Hammond join The Great British Baking Show as a new host shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who watched her remarkable appearance on The Great Stand Up To Cancer Bake Off in February 2022, as she looked to be in her comfort zone in the competition (much like her Blade Runner 2049 interview a few years earlier). A little more than a year later, Hammond would go from contestant to host, which she confirmed in the most unique and on-brand way on her Instagram account:
With figurines and a stage made out of what appears to be fondant icing, Hammond created a model press conference to announce her hosting duties. If her tenure on the show is anything like this Instagram video (and her time on the show as a celebrity contestant), then The Great British Baking Show is going to be a hoot and a holler next season.
We can expect a lot of great things to come with the addition of Alison Hammond on The Great British Baking Show. And though we don’t yet know when the show will return, we’ll have it on our 2023 TV schedule as soon as the date drops.
