RECIPE for success

Ellie Taylor can’t wait to spill the beans about the milestone 10th series of Bake Off: The Professionals when she joins TV Times for an exclusive interview.

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There's always a celebratory vibe when the four of us get together,' the actor, comedian and mum of two, 41, says of co-host Liam Charles and judges Benoit Blin and Cherish Finden. 'This year, my sweet tooth was a nightmare! Ilost control midway through and had to go on a total ban. But it’d be miserable to work on a show like ours and not be like, “I'll have another of those!”’ Indeed! The new serving of C4’s sugar-filled contest will see a fresh batch of 12 teams, each comprising two professional pastry chefs, competing for glory.

Here, Ellie, who joined the series in 2023, tells us more...

So, Ellie, is it true that the new series opens with Benoit starring in a special sketch paying homage to Colin Firth’s iconic lake scene as Mr Darcy in the 1995 BBC1 adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice?

Yes! Benoit — what a hunk! He’s going to have a legion of new fans. Isn’tit great that an esteemed chef, with a serious job, is willing to dress up and have fun? Poor guy, it was freezing that day; the worst day to wear a wet shirt.

The show debuted as Bake Off: Crème de la Crème in 2016 on BBC2, then moved to C4 two years later. What’s the secret to its longevity?