The Great British Baking Show Host Matt Lucas Is Exiting The Series

Sugar and flour-dusted friends, all is not well in the world of baking. Like Ian Watters' Baked Alaska sailing into the bin in 2014, a host for "The Great British Baking Show" (aka "The Great British Bake Off" in the U.K.) is leaving the tent. Matt Lucas, who has appeared alongside co-host Noel Fielding and judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith for three seasons, is leaving the reality series. 

Lucas posted the news on Twitter (via TV Line) saying:

"xxx Farewell Bake Off! It's been a delicious experience and I can't imagine a more fun way of spending my summers, but it's become clear to me that I can't present both 'Fantasy Football League' and 'Bake Off' alongside all my other projects. So, after three series and 51 episodes, I am cheerfully passing the baguette on to someone else. I would like to give my warmest thanks and gratitude to everyone at Love Productions and Channel 4 and to Noelipops, Paul, Dame Prue, the crew and, of course, the wonderful bakers for welcoming me into the tent. I wish whoever takes over all the very best and I can't wait to tune into the next series without already knowing who won! xxx Matt"

I love Lucas, although he did have a similar vibe to Fielding (who I also love because everyone on this show is just delightful). The two often seemed to spend too much time on the skits (including the controversial one at the start of Mexican week in the latest season that has had fans up in arms), taking away from the bakers a bit. 

Matt Lucas ("Little Britain," "Doctor Who") replaced host Sandi Toksvig when she left the series in early 2020. It's no dig against Lucas to say that Toksvig was a better fit — Lucas is fantastic, but Toksvig and Noel Fielding had very different styles of comedy, and they complimented each other beautifully. The focus was also more on the bakers than the skits with the hosts back then. 

This may be a function of some of the subtle changes in the series that caused fans to complain on social media. This season, which recently had its finale on Netflix, had harder bakes, less time to perfect them, and lots of challenges that didn't involve a whole lot of actual baking. 

As a big fan of "The Great British Baking Show" since it first aired — and by big fan, I mean I was looking up clones of the show in other countries and watching "Junior Baking Show" in the off-season — I've loved it to varying degrees in every form, from when Mary Berry was a host before Prue Leith, when hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins had their saucy double entendres, to the end of the current season. I'm sure they'll find someone wonderful to replace Lucas. They always do. I just hope that the show goes back to focusing on the lovely contestants who are competing for nothing more than a cake plate and a bouquet of flowers. There is such a sense of joy to this series, where everyone helps each other out and stays friends after the cameras roll. 

Someone should call Claudia Winkleman ("Strictly Come Dancing"), who hosted "Best Home Cook" with Mary Berry after she left "The Great British Baking Show." She's an absolute riot.

"The Great British Baking Show" is streaming on Netflix.