Among the multitude of pleasures associated with UK reality TV sensation The Breat British Bake Off/Baking Show, one of the biggest is the way—rare among reality shows—it manages to sell the idea that its various contestants are just regular folks. (Albeit ones who happen to be much, much better at baking than you.) The show’s everyman appeal is a huge part of what makes it such a consistently soothing watch, as the contestants react the way anyone confronted with Noel Fielding walking up to them and attempting to engage in absurdist banter while they’re trying to make a goddamn éclair might.
But also: Celebrities are pretty cool too, right?
That’s the logic that underpins the show’s regular famous-focused spin-off, The Great Celebrity Bake Off (also known as The Great Stand Up To Cancer Bake Off), which sees the show’s famed tent fill with the warm, reassuring scent of celebrities flop-sweating because they don’t know how to make a muffin. Running for the last three years, the charity show’s participants have ranged from the Genuinely Famous (John Lithgow, Richard Dreyfuss, James Blunt) to the Famous Because We Watch A Lot Of Taskmaster (including comedians Roisin Conaty, Russell Howard, and the inimitable James Acaster).
Now the series has listed its next set of variably famous contestants to be divided up into groups of four for single-episode runs. Topping the list: James McAvoy and Daisy Ridley, who will both get to see whether being actual, no-fooling movie stars qualifies you to ably weather the ambiguous horrors of the proving drawer. Also on the list (per Deadline, and don’t mind us as we drink every time a Taskmaster alum gets listed, we’re partial): athlete Dame Kelly Holmes, comedian John Bishop, TV host Stacey Dooley, comedian Tom Allen, comedian David Baddiel, Little Mix star Jade Thirlwall, YouTuber KSI, Paralympian Ade Adepitan, author Philippa Perry, broadcaster Nick Grimshaw, comedian Rob Beckett (drink!), singer Alexandra Burke, TV host Anneka Rice, actor Reece Shearsmith, musician Dizzee Rascal, musician Anne-Marie, singer Nadine Coyle, and comedian Katherine Ryan (drink!).
The series is expected to star Bake’s usual contingent of hosts and judges, including Fielding, newcomer Matt Lucas, Prue Leith, and the glowering king of Big Stepdad Energy himself, Paul Hollywood. No word yet on whether this season of Celebrity Bake Off (or the earlier ones, for that matter) will ever make its way to Netflix.
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Dizzee’s gonna be on this? Might have to catch it.
It’s not like you need a reason….
I started watching Q.I. for the first time over the spring/summer quarantine, and Acaster was easily one of the better occasional panelists that was on from time to time over series N-R. He just came across as not giving a flying fuck and let it all out. If Alan Davies gives up his seat, I definitely wouldn’t mind seeing Acaster take it over.
check out his ‘Repertoire’ Netflix series if you haven’t already. Genuinely surprising stand-up.
And, of course, him and Ed on the Off Menu podcast. Gold.
If you can find it, check out his turn on Would I Lie to You when he talks about a child being his nemesis and the deep grudge he holds.ETA: It’s too good to make you work for it, I’m just going to put it here.
That was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen on television.
I stumbled across that clip on YT last year and it’s a classic. Thanks for finding it.
He is roughly 100 times funnier than Alan Davies.
Eh, I have found that Davies is either entirely on or just bland in the last few series. I think it’s one of the “P” or “Q” series where he just loses his shit for a solid 3-4 minutes is one of the funniest things I’ve seen. I do think Acaster would be the perfect replacement for Davies if the latter steps down. He has such a deadpan delivery that’s impossible to read until you hear the punchline. And it’s perfect.
If you’re in the UK, or can track it down elsewhere, I recommend “Hypothetical” a panel show he presents with Josh Widdecombe and the usual murderers row of guests
So is James McAvoy not the draw I think he is, or is appearing on a reality show no longer the epitaph on an entertainer’s dead career?
Bake Off is no mere reality show, sir!
Stand Up To Cancer draws pretty big names every year, especially in the UK. That’s what the Love Actually “reunion” was for a few years back, for instance.
Ah, I didn’t see that it was SU2C affiliated. If that was in the article I definitely woulda read it.
“That’s the logic that underpins the show’s regular famous-focused spin-off, The Great Celebrity Bake Off (also known as The Great Stand Up To Cancer Bake Off), which sees the show’s famed tent fill with the warm, reassuring scent of celebrities flop-sweating because they don’t know how to make a muffin.”
it’s a show very much focused around Stand Up To Cancer – from Cancer Research UK – and doesn’t really come with the usual stench of desperation you normally get on celeb reality tv
Oh of course Tom Allen is on it. Fucker is omnipresent. Yet, despite being on British TV for 39 hours per day, i have never, not once, seen him say or do anything even vaguely amusing, or exhibit any sort of charisma, or display any personality other than “pouting and wearing a tweed suit”. He’s the Anti-Comic. His continued and pervasive presence absolutely baffles me, he must have some serious blackmail shit on the controllers of at least 5 channels, it’s the only explanation. Maybe Paul Hollywood will finally crack and beat the hell out of him, while Reece Shearsmith dances in the background doing an absurd impression of him. That’d make it all worth while.
( I really really really really fucking hate Tom Allen.)
well i like him
Fucker is omnipresent. The Beeb do this sometimes to comedians. Dara Ó Briain, Jimmy Carr, and Romesh Ranganathan have all been given similar treatment.
As for Tom Allen, I find his style of comedy comes more from his personality than actual jokes. He can be charming, though I prefer Joe Lycett.
That’s true. There seem to be a lot of very funny British and Irish comedians, but there are definitely a lot more personalities in comedian roles that do just fine on any or all of the hundred different panel shows that I guess run 24/7 there. I think Tom Allen is perfectly fine and amiable in Dictionary Corner on 8oo10cdc, for instance, but he’s not funny like Sean Lock is funny.
Few are!
Yes – he’s definitely not “stand up comedian” material, but he is a warm and amusing presenter in the Graham Norton mould.
Ironically, we have one of those in the US, and his name is only one letter off. That said, I’ve never seen Tim Allen in a tweed suit.
Tim Allen is not great, but the annoying and omnipresent person that comes to mind is Josh Gad.
Huh, I didn’t realize Olaf was in other things.
I really like him. I enjoyed his comment in a recent interview that for years growing up he thought he wanted to go into acting, but then eventually realised he was just gay.
A lot of the amusement with Tom is that he’s this effete, camp guy who went to school with Rob Beckett, the classic working class Essex boy, at a really rough comprehensive school
I like Tom Allen
Oops, drink again, you missed David Baddiel. He was on season 9, it’s not on youtube yet.
You forgot to drink to David Baddiel for your Taskmaster alum list. He was in series 9.
Never forget Ed Gamble’s incredible fury at being paired with him for a live task.
The first thing I remember seeing James McAvoy was a modern take on Macbeth set in a restaurant. He was quite a good Macbeth, so his rivals on Bake-off might want to watch out if they cross him in the kitchen.
I like McAvoy quite a lot, but whenever I look at him, I always get the feeling that he just can’t believe he’s stuck on this fucking planet.
He’s Glaswegian (like me!) – trust me, we all have that same “what the utter audacious fuck are you on about?” look. It’s universal.
He lives round the corner from us and him and his missus are on the street’s whatsapp group. Seems like he’s a normal friendly sort of bloke.I am not on the street whatsapp group, for the record. I let my better half deal with that bullshit because I am not a normal friendly bloke 🙂
You live near Professor X! Don’t all the mutants hanging around drive down the property values?
lol, yeah, every so often his house is completely destroyed but then, a few days later it’s somehow back in one piece
I won’t be surprised if we get Tom Allen on Taskmaster sooner or later. He’s certainly game for it, I imagine.
Drink for David Baddiel as well, he was on Taskmaster
Noel will be changing diapers (nappies) and painting. He’s on paternity leave and won’t be hosting this one.