The Great Celebrity Bake Off 2024 sees Jodie Whittaker ditch the Time Lord’s braces and sonic screwdriver for an apron and a wooden spoon!
In this Sunday’s opening episode of the five-part Channel 4 series, hosted by Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding, the former Doctor Who actor competes against singer Paloma Faith, comic Munya Chawawa and reality TV star Spencer Matthews. As the famous quartet try to impress judges Paul Hollywood and Dame Prue Leith with their baking skills, they also want to raise vital funds for the charity.
Here, Jodie reveals all about The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer…
The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer is always a great mix of fun and fundraising. Why did you want to take part?
“I’d never put myself in a celebrity version of something unless it was for charity, and this is all for the greater good. You’d be hard pushed to find someone who hasn’t been affected by cancer to some degree. I’ve been lucky, because I haven’t had cancer, and people in my life who have, are all cancer survivors. That’s down to research and donations. Anything that raises money to fight something that is so cruel is only positive.”
Are you a Bake Off fan too?
“Yes! I wanted to be a tourist in the tent. It looks just like it does on television. It’s so inviting, beautiful and brightly coloured, and it evokes nostalgia.”
The episode sees you make cake pops, a twisty treat and biscuit portraits of Paul and Prue. Do you have a talent for baking?
“No! I’ve never baked anything other than a cake mixture for buns. But I wonder if I might be better than I give myself credit for! If you can follow a recipe, you can bake. But I couldn’t go off-piste and start designing my own thing.”
How do you feel about being judged by Paul and Prue?
“As an actor, I need praise, so if I don’t get any, I’ll be gutted. A Hollywood Handshake would mean more than I anticipated, because I was initially like, ‘It’s all a laugh, don’t worry’. Then, as soon as I got in there, I really cared. Because of the naysayers at home who assume I’ll be awful, I’d love to go, ‘I told you I could do it!’”
Are you competitive?
"Yes, you need a healthy competitive nature, but it’s cancelled out by my lack of preparation! I’m not good at doing my homework, I wing it."
What are you most nervous about?
“People seeing my personality unedited and not being given any lines to say! Generally, I like getting out of my comfort zone, but I’ve never done anything where I’m myself, apart from Children In Need [in 2019], where we recorded an album.”
Have you chatted to any friends who have been in the tent previously?
“I rang John Bishop [who played companion Dan Lewis in Doctor Who], who said he had a great time on it [in 2021]. And I remember him smashing a bowl, so I thought, ‘I can’t do much worse!’”
What’s your signature dish at home?
“There are about three dishes that go in rotation with me. I’m lucky, there are other people in our family who cook, I’m terrible! But I’m brilliant at Yorkshire puddings! And my mum’s spag bol sounds disgusting but tastes amazing. It’s mince with ketchup and single cream. Try it! I posh it up with chopped mushrooms, tinned tomatoes and fried onion. It’s beaut!”
And have you ever had any epic kitchen fails?
“Yes, in the early stages of dating my husband, I sprayed the worktop with surface cleaner, and then our pizza arrived, and I put it on the side. The surface cleaner soaked into the pizza, and he ate it and got ill. That was a disaster. Now I’m nervous about any poisoning scenario [in the tent], having done it before!”
The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer begins in the UK on Sunday March 17 at 7.40pm on Channel 4. It will also be available on the Channel 4 streaming site.
To find out more about donating to Stand Up To Cancer head to su2c.org.uk
