Little Britain star Matt Lucas is set to join Noel Fielding as the new host of The Great British Bake Off after Sandi Toksvig stepped down earlier this year.
The news was confirmed today (March 11) on the show’s social media channels.
In a video posted to Twitter, Lucas appears alongside Fielding and spoke about his childhood love for cakes.
“If my mum came along, she would just follow me around going: ‘Matt, don’t eat that! Matt, don’t – I’m serious. Don’t.’”
He also practiced doling out baking instructions with Fielding in the video, before finishing with: “I have a lot of work to do.”
On your marks, get set… say hello to the newest member of the Bake Off team – @RealMattLucas! #GBBO pic.twitter.com/MN6lDox94t
— British Bake Off (@BritishBakeOff) March 11, 2020
Fans react with joy after Matt Lucas is named as new presenter on The Great British Bake Off.
The news has been greeted with joy on social media, where the openly gay comedian, actor and writer led the wave of reactions by sharing an image of one of his Little Britain characters, Marjorie Dawes, carrying a plate of cakes. He captioned it: “Mood.”
mood : pic.twitter.com/P15F164n47
— Matt Lucas (@RealMattLucas) March 11, 2020
If Matt Lucas doesn’t Do this on The ‘Great British Bake Off’ then what’s the point?! pic.twitter.com/5SbXOcmEI1
— – Pickle 🧘🏻♀️ (@izPickle) March 11, 2020
Matt Lucas joining Bake Off. Brilliant. Must be tempted to do it in character as Marjorie Dawes.
— boydhilton (@boydhilton) March 11, 2020
The news was also greeted by Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith, who said she was “so excited” to be working with Lucas.
So excited to be working with @RealMattLucas, the combination of him and @noelfielding11 , will we stop laughing long enough to get any filming done??!!! 🤣 https://t.co/z7vvsOY4Xp
— Prue Leith (@PrueLeith) March 11, 2020
Another GBBO fan user pointed out that all presenting iterations on the hit series have now had at least one queer person on the team. Toksvig is a lesbian and was preceded by another lesbian comic, Sue Perkins.
Matt Lucas joining Bake Off means it maintains its 100% series record for having A Gay on the presenting team. We’re taking over, straights.
— Scott (@merseytart) March 11, 2020
This is the news we all needed! @RealMattLucas will be a brilliant addition! Him and @noelfielding11 – what a tag team 👏👏👏 #washyourhands https://t.co/41diC2Fl0f
— Elaine Dove (@JamboDove) March 11, 2020
Sandi Toksvig announced that she was leaving the hit baking series in January.
Sandi Toksvig was on the presenting team alongside Noel Fielding for three years after the series moved from the BBC to Channel 4.
Toksvig, 61, revealed in January that her time on the show was coming to an end, saying she wanted to “spend more time” on other projects.
She said spending time with Prue Leith, Paul Hollwood and Noel Fielding had been “one of the great pleasures” of her life.
“These are friendships which I know will continue beyond the confines of television.”
Lucas is best known as creator and star of Little Britain, which he worked on alongside David Walliams. It aired from 2003 to 2007.
In 2017, Lucas said he had regrets about transphobic jokes and blackface in the series, saying he wouldn’t make the “mean” series today.