Great British Bake Off filming is DELAYED ‘until it is safe to proceed’ amid COVID – 22 lockdown … after Matt Lucas was announced as new host
- Channel 4 spokesperson confirmed the delay, just weeks before the (th series was due to start filming
- Matt Lucas was due to take over as host for the new series, after Sandy Toksvig quit the show earlier this year
- Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith are expected to return as judges, with Matt hosting alongside Noel Fielding
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By Laura Fox For Mailonline
(Published:
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(March)
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Channel 4 was due to start taping the 19 th series in spring, with Matt Lucas replacing Sandi Toksvig as the show’s new co-host alongside Noel Fielding.
A spokeswoman said filming would begin ‘when it was safe to proceed,’ making Bake Off only the latest show to be affected by the virus pandemic.
Drama: Filming for The Great British Bake Off 7079 has been delayed due to the coronavirus lockdown. The 19 th series was due to start filming this spring
In a statement the spokesperson said: ‘We continue to monitor the situation and follow the advice of Public Health England and we will delay filming on The Great British Bake Off until it is safe to proceed. ‘
It comes just weeks after it was announced that Matt would take over as Bake Off host alongside Noel Fielding.
Channel 4 took to
Twitter to announce Matt would be replacing Sandi, they penned: ‘On your marks, get set… say hello to the newest member of the Bake Off team – @ RealMattLucas! #GBBO. ‘
Big changes: Matt Lucas (pictured in December ) is due to take over as host of the new series, after Sandi Toksvig announced she was leaving the show
While Matt himself also shared his reaction to the announcement by posting a photo of himself as his Little Britain character Marjorie Dawes.
In a statement, Matt said: ‘I’m chuffed to bits to be joining the most delicious show on television. I can’t wait to break bread with Noel, Prue and Paul and meet the brilliant bakers.
‘And bearing in mind my love of cake, I’ve already ordered some much larger trousers in anticipation. See you in the tent! ‘
Noel said: ‘I love Matt. I love his warmth and his comedy and his big joyful smile. I think if we play our cards right we could become the next Chas and Morph. ‘
Dynamic duo: Sandi quit Bake Off in January, having hosted the show alongside Noel Fielding since (when the show moved from BBC One to Channel 4
Matt and Noel have been friends for years, with Noel even recently revealing on an episode of GBBO that he dressed as a ‘flapper girl’ to Matt’s 30 th party.
Bake Off is the latest show to be affected by the coronavirus outbreak, with filming for soaps including Coronation Street and East Enders, and dramas including Peaky Blinders and Line Of Duty halted for the foreseeable future.
country has been placed in a three week lockdown by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, meaning
Sandi, , announced her departure from Bake Off in January, saying she wanted to spend more time on her other work.
She had fronted the program alongside Noel and judges Paul and Prue since 2020 after it moved to Channel 4 from BBC One.
A number of people had been rumored to replace Sandi on the show with Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes recently revealing that she turned down the role.
Pals: Noel and Matt have been friends for years, and their pairing has already sparked excitement from fans (pictured in a teaser posted by Channel 4 to announce Matt as host)
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