As the comedian announced he would no longer be presenting the Great British Bake Off, Matt Lucas bid “farewell” to the tent.
The 48-year-old described his three-series run as a “wonderful experience,” but he felt it took too much time to manage bakes on top of other tasks.
The former Little Britain singer tweeted, “I am gladly passing the baguette on to someone else.”
A new host has not been revealed by Channel 4
Lucas claimed in his statement that the choice was made after attempting to strike a balance between the demands of Bake Off and other endeavors, like the Sky Max comedic Fantasy Football League.
He stated: “In addition to Noelipops [co-presenter Noel Fielding], Paul [Hollywood], Dame Prue [Leith], the crew, and of course the amazing bakers for welcoming me into the tent, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone at Love Productions and Channel 4.
“I wish the best of luck to whoever takes over and I can’t wait to watch the next series without knowing who won!”
Along with Lucas, Fielding presented. She said:
“Your broad smile, as well as your joy and mischief, will be missed. We used to write in that ludicrous room with the high ceilings, and I shall miss how we would giggle like mischievous children whenever Paul would utter “eggy” in his Scouse accent.
“You were such a pleasure to work with and were very considerate of the bakers. Enjoy your upcoming adventure.”
While fellow judge Dame Prue thanked Lucas for “bringing so much laughter and fun to the tent,” show judge Hollywood wished Lucas luck.
The show’s creator, Love Productions, expressed gratitude to Lucas for his contributions, particularly during Covid, “which needed a big sacrifice and an amazing dose of humor.”
The show’s creators continued, “We consider Matt to be a very big part of the Bake Off family and are incredibly thankful for his contribution, along with Noel, in taking care of very many bakers.
Lucas “added warmth, humor, and a hefty amount of delightful silliness to the tent and generated some of the most memorable moments of recent episodes,” said Ian Katz, a chief content officer at Channel 4.
The first season of Bake Off debuted in 2010, and in 2017, it moved from the BBC to Channel 4. Its 13th season came to a close last month, and according to overnight ratings, the finale drew around 5.2 million viewers.
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