Matt Lucas has announced he will be leaving his post as host of Great British Bake Off. Lucas revealed the news in several posts across his social media pages. In his announcement, Lucas cited scheduling conflicts for the departure.
Lucas joined the long-running baking series back in 2020 and served as co-host alongside comedian Noel Fielding. The pair hosted the series, often serving as comedic relief in tense moments, and emotional support in times of baking disaster. The pair's offbeat humor and general comedic chemistry seemed to put a stop to the churn of hosts that stepped in following the departure of original hosts Mel and Sue in 2016 when the series switched networks in the UK.
Great British Bake Off originally premiered in 2010 in the UK and aired on BBC Two. The series later became available to stream on Netflix internationally. Soon after the series made its Netflix debut in the mid-2010s, it became a huge hit. The long-form baking competition format and cozy atmosphere of the series offered something fresh for US viewers, especially considering the time-crunch heavy, cut-throat cooking competition show that saturated television at the time. Great British Bake-Off instead offered a kind approach, which allowed for contemplation and creativity among contestants.
Lucas's statement began with a "[f]arewell Bake Off!" He continued, saying that "[i]t’s been a delicious experience and I can’t imagine a more fun way of spending my summers." However, along with his fond reflection on his time on the series, he noted that "it’s become clear to me that I can’t present both Fantasy Football League and Bake Off alongside all my other projects. So, after three series and 51 episodes, I am cheerfully passing the baguette on to someone else.”
Lucas sent kind regards to all of his Bake-Off cohorts saying, "I would like to give my warmest thanks and gratitude to everyone at Love Productions and Channel 4 and to Noelipops, Paul, Dame Prue, the crew and, of course, the wonderful bakers for welcoming me into the tent."
Following Matt’s announcement, one of the show's judges Prue Leith posted the following statement to Twitter: “I have absolutely loved working with you [Matt Lucas]. Thank you for bringing so much laughter and fun to the tent.”
Channel 4, the series' home network in the UK, has not yet announced a replacement for Lucas. You can view his farewell statement below.