Alison Hammond has been named the new co-host of “The Great British Bake Off.”
“So yes it’s breaking news, Alison Hammond is joining the team of ‘The Great British Bake Off,’” the U.K. television personality said in a video posted to Twitter Friday.
“Alison, have you got any words whatsoever?” she asked a miniature version of herself featured on a cake with co-host Noel Fielding and regular judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith. “Well, do you know what? I’m just absolutely thrilled, I’m going to be meeting the bakers very soon. I’m joining ‘The Great British Bake Off.’ I’m so very excited!”
“As you can see all my colleagues are absolutely speechless! Yes, yes, just speechless,” she continued. “We’re so very, very happy and we can’t wait to get started.”
Channel 4, the broadcaster that carries the reality competition series in the U.K., confirmed that Hammond would join Fielding, Leith and Hollywood for the Season 14 series of “The Great British Bake Off.”
“Finally I can talk about it! I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining the Great British Bake Off and can’t wait to meet this year’s bakers,” she said in a statement provided to TheWrap. “It’s a huge honour to be back in the tent and I can’t wait to get started’.”
Hammond, who recently co-hosted the BAFTAs with Richard E. Grant and is known for hosting the U.K. daytime program “This Morning,” previously appeared as a baker in 2020 for Celebrity Bake Off. She replaces actor and former co-host Matt Lucas, who exited the show in December after three years, citing a busy schedule that included his talk show, “Fantasy Football League.”
“Alison has already proved herself to be a natural on ‘Bake Off,’ maybe not as a baker, but as someone who brings an infectious warmth and humour into the tent and we can’t wait for this year’s bakers to meet her and Noel,” Love Productions executive producer Kieran Smith added. “Welcome to ‘The Great British Bake Off…’“
Filming will begin this spring and the Season 14 will air later this year.
