Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Noel Fielding reacts to news Matt Lucas has quit Great British Bake Off

Comedian responded to the news in a touching ‘farewell’ post

Matt Lucas parodies Boris Johnson for Great British Bake Off advert

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Noel Fielding has reacted to the news that Matt Lucas has quit The Great British Bake Off.

The comedian and Mighty Boosh star has hosted the Channel 4 series alongside Lucas for three years.

On Tuesday (6 December), the Little Britain actor announced he was stepping away from the baking competitions, which is known as The Great British Baking Show in the US.

He attributed his decision to a clash of projects, stating that it “became clear” he could no longer present the show.

In a “farewell” post, Fielding thanked Lucas “for three amazing years” and reeled off everything he would “miss” about his co-host.

“I will really miss your spark and huge smile in the tent and I will miss your kindness as a person and to all the bakers,” Fielding wrote on Instagram.

“I will miss your sense of the absurd and your silliness. I will miss all the times the four of us giggled together. I will miss your ability to turn into a fully formed character at the drop of a hat.”

He continued: “I will miss you pretending to be Boris Johnson singing David Bowie songs and I will miss your upbeat nature and positive vibes.”

Fielding hailed Lucas as “a huge comic talent but also a lovely man and a good friend”, adding: “I wish you luck on your next adventure and look forward to watching as a fan. See you in the real world soon buddy.”

It is currently unknown who will replace Lucas, who himself replaced Sandi Toksvig during the show’s 11th series in 2019, but many are hoping it could lead to a fun reunion.

Noel Fielding says he will ‘miss’ his ‘GBBO’ co-host Matt Lucas
Noel Fielding says he will ‘miss’ his ‘GBBO’ co-host Matt Lucas (Instagram)

Lucas said of his successor: “I wish whoever takes over the very best and I can’t wait to tune into the next series without already knowing who won!”

Apple TV+ logo

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Try for free
Apple TV+ logo

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Try for free

In response to Lucas’s announcement, Paul Hollywood wrote on Instagram: “Sorry you’re leaving us @realmattlucas, you’ll be so missed by everyone. You made me laugh so much in the tent, your characters are epic, I was a massive fan of yours before you came to the tent, now I’ll always be your number one fan. Good luck in everything you do.”

Meanwhile, the official Bake Off account wrote: “We’ve loved having Matt Lucas brighten up our tent for the last three years, especially when laughter and smiles were so much in need.”

The comedian will make his final bow as co-host in two Bake Off Christmas specials, which will air on Channel 4 on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day. Here are six presnters who could replace Lucas.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in