Sandi Toksvig has made a blunt admission about no longer being friends with her former Great British Bake Off co-host Noel Fielding.
For the past 14 years, the baking competition has been cherished as one of TV's most heartwarming shows by fans worldwide.
Originally airing on the BBC, the series made a move to Channel 4 in 2017, featuring several presenters over the years. Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins hosted from 2010 to 2016 before Toksvig and Fielding took over, bringing light-hearted humour and support to the bakers in the tent for three years.
However in 2020, the writer stepped down from her role and was replaced by Matt Lucas, who was then succeeded by Alison Hammond last year.
In a new interview, the 66-year-old opened up about her relationships with her former Bake Off co-stars, including Fielding, 51, as well as judges Paul Hollywood, 58, and Dame Prue Leith, 84.
When asked about her friendships with former co-stars, she told The Times: “Prue and I are joined at the hip.”
Regarding head baker Hollywood, Toksvig added: “Not so much. He’s so busy. He drives cars so fast it’s impossible to catch him.”
When it came to Fielding, her response was blunt: "No."
When the 66-year-old announced her departure from Bake Off four years ago, she praised her friendships with the judges and her co-host, expressing her hope that they would remain close even outside of work.
She shared in a statement at the time: “Spending time with Prue, Paul and Noel has been one of the great pleasures of my life. These are friendships which I know will continue beyond the confines of television.
“Bake Off is a wonderful programme which has already proved it can happily withstand a change of hosting personnel.
“The reason for that, of course, is that the true stars of the show are the bakers themselves. I wish everyone well.”
In response to Toksvig’s departure, Dame Prue pledged that they would be “lifelong friends”.
While Fielding shared a heartfelt post for the comedienne when she stepped down from Bake Off in January 2020, writing alongside a photo of them together: “I feel like Tom without Jerry ! Mick without Keef !
“I’m gonna miss you Sandi and our strange and magical double act. it’s been a joy to hang out and muck about in the Tent with you. thank you for 3 wonderful years ! You will always be my favourite Ewok Viking ! x x x x x x x x.”
In the same interview, Toksvig revealed her reasons for leaving Bake Off, sharing that she "walked away from the biggest pay cheque of my life" after her wife, Debbie, urged her to leave the role because it wasn't bringing her happiness.
She shared: “I’d never watched it. I still haven’t watched it. I didn’t understand it. Cakes are readily available in the shops. I didn’t enjoy the process. You stand at the end of a long table for hours when Prue and Paul taste everything and we literally didn’t speak or taste anything.
“I used to say, ‘Can we not sit down? I’m not contributing,’ but no.”
The Standard has contacted Noel Fielding’s rep for comment.
