A new season of The Great British Bake Off is already underway on the other side of the pond. If you’re a fan who lives in the United States, one change will be impossible to ignore when it premieres on Friday, September 29, on Netflix.
Out is former host and comedian Matt Lucas, who worked alongside Noel Fielding from 2020-2022. In is This Morning’s Alison Hammond, Fielding’s new partner in a new era for the wholesome fall program about the mastery of making confectionary delights.
This is not the first time that Bake Off has shifted hosts. In fact, Fielding is really the show’s main constant, having begun in 2017. Still, you’re probably here because Lucas’s departure is a bit jarring if you hadn’t been paying close attention to his exploits. And we get it. But he left for a good reason, according to an Instagram post from last year.
For clarity, Lucas’s announcement reads:
“Farewell Bake Off! It’s been a delicious experience and I can’t imagine a more fun way of spending my summers. But it’s become clear to me that I can’t present both Fantasy Football League and Bake Off alongside all my other projects. So, after three series and 51 episodes, I am cheerfully passing the baguette on to someone else. I would like to give my warmest thanks and gratitude to everyone at Love Productions and Channel 4 and to Noelipops, Paul, Dame Prue, the crew and, of course, the wonderful bakers for welcoming me into the tent. I wish whoever takes over all the very best and I can’t wait to tune into the next series without already knowing who won.”
After Lucas revealed he’d be leaving to pursue his “other projects” — writing children’s books and the show Fantasy Football League, which premiered in 2022 — Hammond would be named his replacement in March 2023.
There you have it, folks. Sometimes, you want to have your head in a million places, but time and a hectic schedule get in the way.
