JAMES AND OLIVER PHELPS: IN MAX CULINARY SHOW

JAMES AND OLIVER PHELPS, fondly remembered as the "Harry Potter" twins Fred and George Weasley, recently brought a wave of magic and nostalgia to Manila.

- By NATHALIE M. TOMADA

They made a surprise appearance at the grand launch of Max, the newest streaming platform now available to Filipinos, to introduce their latest show, "Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking." Two episodes are currently streaming on Max.

During an intimate interview with the Filipino press, including The STAR, the British actors and TV hosts are grateful to Max for the opportunity to reach this side of the world for the first time and reconnect with the "Harry Potter" fans.

James said, "It's been really good.. We just went around the local area, had some really good food for lunch. What was it that we had? Chicken adobo. That was really good.

"So whenever we travel, we try to go where the locals go and go where the locals eat."

Oliver added, "And we almost leave it to the waiter and say, what would you eat? So, I guess we get a lot of stuff where we don't necessarily know what it is. But yeah, it's been nice trying some of the local food."

As mentioned, the twins also came to promote their brand-new show, "Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking," which gathers established bakers who will compete and create "spellbinding edible showpieces" that profess their love for all things "Harry Potter."

Adding to the magic, all the action takes place in the original and most iconic sets from the "Harry Potter" films. Whichever baking teams win over the judges will get to board the Hogwarts train to proceed to the next challenge. One of the ultimate prizes is to be part of a "Harry Potter" cookbook.

There's actually a Filipino chef contestant on the show, who has incorporated very Pinoy ingredients such as calamansi and ube into the desserts.

When The STAR asked James and Oliver what kind of sweets their characters Fred and George would come up with should they become baking contestants, they were quick to quip, "We wouldn't eat their food."