Fans of the “Great British Baking Show” should be relieved to hear that filming for the next season of the much-loved baking competition show won’t be delayed due to the mystery “health issues” of one of its hosts, comedian Noel Fielding.
A spokesperson for Fielding, a popular British TV personality and stand-up performer, has hit back at speculation that he would be leaving the series, which streams on Netflix, or causing production for its 16th season to be delayed.
“There has been absolutely no discussion about Noel stepping down from ‘Bake Off,’” Fielding’s spokesperson said, according to Deadline. In the U.K., the show is known as “The Great British Bake Off.” “We can confirm he will be returning to co-host the next (season) of ‘Bake Off.”
Concerns about the immediate future of the “Baking Show” grew last week, following reports that Fielding did not turn up for work after the Christmas break for his other series, the Apple TV+ comedy, “The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin.”
The U.K. tabloid The Sun reported that Fielding’s disappearance from “Dick Turpin” led to uncertainty over his participation on the “Great British Baking Show,” alongside co-host Alison Hammond and judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood.
With the “Great British Baking Show” due to start filming, The Sun reported Fielding’s agents were in “crisis talks” about his future on the show. A source told The Sun: “Time is of the essence because bosses need a degree of certainty about who will be fronting ‘Bake Off.’ So much has to be put in place long before the cameras start rolling and producers are already geared up, ready to go.”
His spokesperson had acknowledged to the Times UK that Fielding was not well enough to continue filming “Dick Turpin,” citing “a private and confidential matter regarding our client’s health.”
Fielding’s health issues forced producers to scrap “Dick Turpin,” even though the production was within weeks of wrapping up, Deadline reported. Fielding doesn’t just star in “Dick Turpin,” he also is the show’s co-writer and executive producer.
Some 100 members of “Dick Turpin’s” cast and crew expressed frustration about the decision to shut down production. Someone close to the production told the Times UK: “Noel has said that he can’t film anymore and so there was no choice but to stop. It’s not a decision that was taken lightly and they wouldn’t have got to this extreme result if every possible solution hadn’t been exhausted.”
“People have been very concerned about Noel’s well-being and (have) given him time to recover but there are also significant repercussions. Some people are furious,” the source told the Times.
Americans probably are most familiar with Fielding through his hosting gig on the “Great British Baking Show,” which he joined in 2017. In the U.K., he’s also known for his surrealist comedy and his appearance in the BBC comedy, “The Mighty Boosh.”