As The Great British Bake Off returns to our screens, new presenter Alison Hammond joins judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith to dish up all the secrets from the famous Bake Off Tent…
Alison, how chuffed were you to land this job?
Alison: Really chuffed. I didn’t realise how much I wanted it until I had to audition with Noel! My son was really excited as well. He loves Bake Off.
Were you nervous?
Alison: Yes. It’s a big deal when you go in that tent.
What is the dynamic like now on set?
Paul: It’s nice, two and two. It works.
Alison: Prue says she loves having another girl!
Prue: She’s energised the show. It’s amazing. She’s such a life-enhancing ball of fire – she’s fantastic. She says anything, she has almost no filter, she hugs all the bakers. And she is always the same on set, off set, when she’s in the make-up chair… she’s just herself. The bakers all adore her and, I must say, so do we.
Alison: We [Noel and I] don’t even plan our scripts.
Prue: They hit it off from the very beginning. We have a little buggy and Noel, who cannot drive a car, is terrific in the buggy. He and Alison, they’re like a couple of teenagers, having a lovely time whizzing round the park and we’re waiting for them to get on with Bake Off!
Prue, did you feel protective of Alison when she first arrived? You know what it’s like to join Bake Off…
Prue: Well, Alison says she was nervous when she arrived, but she absolutely didn’t look it. She was like a duck to water. She knew it was a job she could do and that she would do well and so, within seconds, she was terrific and taking the lead.
Paul: You [Alison] did make a mistake in the first week and went round and ate everything! You said, “I am never doing that ever again.”
Alison: I have put on a stone. I couldn’t believe it. I am literally going running tomorrow! I am just going to get bigger!
Paul: It is difficult. You are trying to take little bits and the baking this year has been very good. They bonded so quickly as a group. There weren’t many tears.
Prue: They were a good fun bunch. We had everybody from delivery drivers to
a science teacher and a doctoral research associate. When you talk to them, they are just such an interesting bunch and all very different.
Were there any baking disasters this year?
Paul: There is always something that goes wrong but it wasn’t insurmountable. For them, it’s the end of the world. But it happens. It’s OK!
Alison: I didn’t realise how much they put into it. It takes over their life so much.
Does that make it harder to judge?
Paul: No. I have always been straight with them. They appreciate that.
Alison: There were not many handshakes, though, this year.
Paul: No, I was mean with the handshakes!
Has presenting in the tent inspired you to bake more, Alison?
Alison: I have learnt lots. I made brownies twice. But Paul said they were bitter. I was really upset!
Paul and Prue, why do you still enjoy doing Bake Off?
Paul: I still love it. When I turn up in the tent, I have a little moment.
Alison: He is always first on set. He is so dedicated.
Prue: Well, we’ve been doing it for a very long time, so we’re now very old chums. Paul never ceases to tease me. His great line of teasing, which has got worse and worse, is that I’m this tottering old lady who needs to be helped. “Shall I get your Zimmer frame for you, dearie?” It drives me absolutely up the wall, but it is very funny.
Is the final going to be a close one?
Paul: I am really happy. The right person won and I didn’t expect it from the beginning.
Finally, which celebrities would you love to have on the Stand Up To Cancer version of the show?
Paul: I want Blake Lively. We need to make it happen.
Alison: I don’t think he would ever do it, but I would love to see Dermot O’Leary do the show. I would also like Holly Willoughby and Josie Gibson.
The Great British Bake Off Tuesday, 8pm, Channel 4
Source: Read Full Article