Entertainment

Russell Brand’s biscuit birthing scene wins him star baker on Celebrity Bake Off

The comedian triumphed after the contestants were challenged to recreate their greatest performance.
The comedian triumphed after the contestants were challenged to recreate their greatest performance. The comedian triumphed after the contestants were challenged to recreate their greatest performance.

Russell Brand has been named star baker on The Great Celebrity Bake Off after crafting a graphic recreation of the birth of his second daughter.

Alongside actor John Lithgow, comedian Jon Richardson and Paralympian Hannah Cockroft, Brand was challenged to produce a biscuit version of his greatest performance.

The comedian and podcaster, 43, opted to bake a miniature version of his wife in a birthing pool complete with a confectionery placenta.

Brand said he was “genuinely thrilled” to receive the star baker’s apron, adding that he planned to wear it and nothing else on the way home.

After his name was announced by co-host Sandi Toksvig, he simply said: “No? Wow.”

Once he regained his composure, he added: “I’m genuinely thrilled to be adorned with this apron. I’m bang into this, man. I’m probably going to wear it home.

“I shall wear this with nothing else on. This will be it now. I shall cultivate a look around this apron.”

Brand impressed judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith with his unorthodox showstopper, with Leith labelling it “a celebration of womanhood Germaine Greer would have approved of”.

Hollywood hailed Brand for the quality of his bake, saying: “That biscuit was perfect. What he did was a bit of conceptual art. Very clever, very brave and (it) tasted amazing.”

Earlier, the contestants made brownies and an orange and black striped Swiss roll.

Brand created footballer brownies and named one after Bake Off host Sandi Toksvig.

He joked to Hollywood: “Take a bite out of Sandi, Paul. You’ve been dying to do it since the big move.”

Other stars taking part in the upcoming celebrity specials include Jeremy Paxman, Michelle Keegan, Russell Tovey, Greg Wise, Caroline Flack and Georgia Toffolo.

The episodes aim to raise money for Cancer Research UK in support of the Stand Up To Cancer campaign.

The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer continues on Channel 4.