Bookmaker Coral has already begun speculating who the next judge could be, should Mary and Paul follow Mel and Sue’s suit and quit the show when it moves to Channel 4, with former Celebrity MasterChef victor Lisa Faulkner named as the most likely replacement as presenter.
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Meanwhile, Channel 4 bosses are said to be furious after Mel and Sue issued a carefully worded (and puntastic) statement revealing they wouldn’t be defecting to Channel 4 when the show moves. “We made no secret of our desire for the show to remain where it was”, the two said in a joint statement.
The statement, issued before the Channel 4 deal was announced, ended: “We hope Love Productions change their mind so that Bake Off can stay ad free on BBC One”.
Speaking on Premier’s Inspirational Breakfast, Benjamina said: “It’s quite exciting to know that we’re going to be the last BBC bakers”.
Presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins have confirmed that they will not take part in future series.
The former BBC executive said Channel 4’s intervention had prevented it being gobbled up by a pay-to-view television service.
ITV said at the time: “Mel and Sue are great talents and we hope to work with them on other projects in the future”.
The decision follows an earlier announcement that the breakout baking hit will be moving off of its home network, BBC, and onto Britain’s Channel 4 in 2017.
“The Bake Off on the BBC is a gateway to all that”.
The BBC says it has lost the rights to “The Great British Bake Off”, which it has broadcast since 2010.
He has previously fronted a one-off BBC show about Aston Martins, and said earlier this year that he would be doing “more auto programmes” in future. They’re wonderful girls who made the show what it is.
And to add insult to injury for anxious fans, we could have to wait until 2018 to watch the next series because of a one-year break clause between the BBC and Love Productions, the company behind the smash hit.
Following Mel and Sue’s departure, several replacement names have been thrown into the hat, including bookies favourite Jo Brand.
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Wigan’s Great British Bake Off victor says he fears for the future of the programme after the show left the BBC and lost its star presenters.
