Noel Fielding: When Paul and Prue are rude to the bakers I’m livid
Noel Fielding has said he gets so attached to Bake Off bakers that he’s “livid” when Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith criticise them.
The Great British Bake Off host said that initially, what he thought he would bring to the show was “sketches and banter”, but was surprised by his ability to connect with contestants.
He gets so close with the contestants that he even cried when he had to kick one out of the tent, he said.
Fielding, 51, told The Guardian: “If Paul and Prue are hard on them, I’m absolutely livid”, adding he couldn’t believe that he was still on the show.
Fielding has been at the forefront for eight series, having outlasted two previous co-hosts Sandi Toksvig and Matt Lucas.
The Mighty Boosh actor has now also been on the programme for longer than its entire lifespan on BBC One, when it was hosted by Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins.
‘We were terrified’
He said: “When me and Sandi [Toksvig] took over, we were terrified. We knew it was a massive risk. We said: ‘Let’s see if we can last one series.’ The fact that I’m still here is amazing.”
Comedian and QI host Toksvig departed in 2020, stating she felt her “brain atrophying” after her three series at the helm.
Fielding said: “Sandi, as we know, is a massive brain. She went to Cambridge, she’s super-smart, she writes, she does politics, she needs to be stimulated.”
He explained that the difference between the two hosts is that he “really likes hanging out” with the bakers, adding: “I befriend them and get them to open up. In fact, I’m fascinated by the people. I feel protective of them.”
Fielding has billed the new series as one of the best yet, describing it as a “belter”.
He said: “There are some very special bakers in the tent this year. Somehow the standard keeps getting higher. These unbelievable young bakers are way better than they should be for their age. It’s a vintage year. One of the best yet.”
