Is the new British Bake Off team a recipe for success?
New presenters Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding will bring 'wit and quirkiness to the tent,' says Channel 4's Jay Hunt
As if the Great British Bake Off's migration from BBC One to Channel 4 was not controversial enough, along comes the announcement of a presenting duo that has left fans scratching their heads.
QI host Sandi Toksvig and comedian Noel Fielding will take over from original presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, who left the show after its move from the BBC.
Cookery writer Prue Leith will replace Mary Berry, alongside original team member Paul Hollywood.
The news of Toksvig and Fielding's new roles has caused a bit of a storm among the media and fans alike.
"It’s a random pairing which could rise like a well-whipped soufflé or sink like poorly proved dough," writes Michael Hogan in the Daily Telegraph.
"In Prue Leith, we've got the judge we expected. In Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding, we've got a presenting duo we definitely didn't."
Fielding, best known for his work in the surrealist TV sitcom The Mighty Boosh, was described as a "surprise casting" by the Daily Mail. Viewers have been "left a bit lost and puzzled" by Channel 4's decision, says Metro.
One Twitter user described the appointment as "just as bad as going from Obama to Trump".
In September it was revealed that the show would leave BBC One after rival broadcaster Channel 4 put in a higher bid for the rights to air it. Only Paul Hollywood said he would remain with the show after its move.
Last month Channel 4 confirmed that 77-year-old food writer, restaurateur, journalist, presenter and campaigner Prue Leith would join the show as Berry's replacement.
Channel 4's chief creative officer Jay Hunt says the appointments will give the show a "uniquely Channel 4 take", and that "Sandi and Noel bring a fresh wit and quirkiness to the tent."
