The search for Britain’s best patisserie team is back on, as Bake Off: The Professionals makes its anticipated return this summer.
Now in its eighth series, the hit Channel 4 baking competition – a spin-off from The Great British Bake Off – is renowned nationwide for highlighting the creme de la creme of pastry chefs, each of whom battle it out for the coveted crown (or silver serving tray, in this case).
Though a fresh batch of contestants won’t be the only newbie to Firle Place this season, for while fans can expect to see the return of judges Benoit Blin and Cherish Finden, Bake Off alumni and Junior Bake Off judge Liam Charles will have a brand-new co-host in the shape of Ellie Taylor.
From Ted Lasso to tiramisu, the actress-comedian, 39, will take the baton from predecessor Stacey Solomon – and she could not be happier about it.
“It’s the best job,” she gushes, happily. “It’s people trying hard at something that they love, which is endlessly joyous, gorgeous, and uncynical to watch.
“I presented The Great Pottery Throwdown before, which was absolutely lovely, but you can’t eat anything,” she quips, addressing her sweet tooth. “Whereas this show, there were little morsels all over the shop. It was an absolute delight.
“I would literally be asked by a producer, ‘Can you just taste some…?’ I’d be like, ‘God, OK then fine, I’ll be professional…’ I started taking my own Tupperware in and I would take stuff back for me, my husband, my friends, my parents. It was the dream gig!”
It certainly sounds ideal, with this series’ raft of challenges serving up another array of delicious bakes.
Expect to drool over an opener of opera aux fruit and prinsesstarta, followed by reinvented family favourites such as bread and butter pudding and banoffee pie, and takes on pavlova, peach melba and mille-feuille.
Themes include Safari, Archaeology, Land of the Giants, Life of Amphibians and Reptiles, and Mad Science. And, for the first time, teams are asked to create a fully suspended showpiece under the premise of Take Flight.
“Oh the flight one was brilliant, that was a favourite,” teases Taylor, who says her own baking skills extend to a basic cake or profiteroles. “But it was utterly ridiculous, as not only did they have to do an incredibly difficult showpiece, but then they had to hang it from the ceiling and climb up a ladder.
“I mean, honestly, these poor people, but they really rose to the challenge. And there were some brilliant ones,” she remembers.
“I mean, the drama was really heightened there, because it was an extra level of difficulty. But the ones that did well, they really paid off.”
“They did,” agrees Charles, 25, who has impressed as a presenter since starring in – and coming fifth – in The Great British Bake Off, 2017.
“And what’s so nice is that every year the challenges just get a little bit harder, but the chefs never fail to step up to the plate. It’s great to see.”
That’s not to say there’s a lack of drama, confirms Charles – “I don’t want to spoil too much, but there are [a few tumbling disasters] this year,” he reveals.
“What was so upsetting for some of the smashes is they looked absolutely beautiful before – imagine spending four or five hours in the kitchen making a masterpiece, and then in a split second it’s gone. So it’s a bit tense, but fun at the same time.”
“It’s the noise!” cries Taylor. “Especially in the last half an hour when the room goes very quiet because they’re concentrating, so you can hear the tiniest snap. And when there is an awful crash, everyone, and like 20 cameras, shoot straight around. It’s a lot.”
But the duo, whose job it is to essentially bridge the gap between the chef and viewers at home, have learned how best to deal with such anxious moments.
“It’s definitely tense, but it’s a nice, weird, delightful tense that everyone seems to enjoy at the same time,” Charles offers. “Because at the end of the actual challenge, the chefs will have created something beautiful.”
It’s all about perspective, he says, “You gauge when to talk to the contestants or not, especially when it is the last half an hour, you want to keep the conversations short and sweet.
“And obviously, when they do need an arm around their shoulder, me and Ellie are there for that too.
“They are pro chefs, but they are humans as well,” he notes. “I know when I was a contestant, 90% of the time I was stressed out, so it’s nice to be on the other side to encourage the chefs.”
“I always found them very gracious, bearing in mind how stressed they are,” Taylor adds. “And it’s not just personal pride, it’s professional pride they’ve got on the line here. So to make the time to talk to us and to go along with our stupid jokes, they were very generous with their spirits and their time.”
Getting to know the teams was therefore a highlight, Taylor says.
“By the end of it, you know the teams so well, you know what the vibe is going to be. Each table is like a different planet that you land on,” she muses. “So, you become fond of them; you get really invested, and I love that. It is lovely when you’re into what you’re doing for work.”
“And this year, there’s so many characters,” Charles says. “Put the baking aside for a second, just going around, talking to them about their lives, it makes mine and Ellie’s job so much easier.
“To know they’ve got many hobbies and life experiences outside their day-to-day job, it’s a beautiful thing,” reiterates The Masked Dancer star. “The chefs this year were jokes.”
A staple in the calendar, much like its parent and siblings, just why do us Brits love competitive cooking shows so much?
“At the heart of it is watching people create stuff that you want to eat – and also you sometimes kind of wish you could do as well. It inspires you,” Taylor reasons.
“The challenges are always so interesting, too. The teams and the people. The partnerships are varied. And there’s always drama?” she adds, smiling. “It’s just compelling watching and you’re really holding your breath.”
Taking on the role left her with “some big shoes to fill,” however, she states. “The show is so beloved by the people who watch it, but I think you should always have nerves when you start a new job.
“But it’s also a role I feel very comfortable in,” she finishes. “So, I jumped in headfirst, and ate some cake immediately.”
Bake Off: The Professionals returns to Channel 4 on Tuesday, July 4.
