Rumors have been swirling around Noel Fielding’s future on The Great British Bake Off after his sudden exit from Apple TV+’s The Completely Made-Up Adventures Of Dick Turpin, but a spokesperson has confirmed that the co-host will return for the show’s upcoming season. Fielding’s departure from the Apple TV+ comedy, where he played the lead role, happened abruptly after the Christmas break, with production ceasing part way through its second season. Reports cited a “mystery health condition” as the reason, with Fielding’s rep noting “This is a private and confidential matter regarding our client’s health,” and adding, “We are saddened by the decision to cease production but we cannot make any further comment on this matter.” This resulted in speculation that he would also leave The Great British Bake Off, where he appears alongside Alison Hammond, and judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood.
However, Fielding’s spokesperson has now addressed these concerns, firmly stating that there have been “absolutely no discussions about Noel stepping down from Bake Off.” They added that they “have been in contact with Channel 4 and Love Productions throughout all the speculation and his ‘stepping down’ has never been part of that dialogue” and confirmed his participation in the 16th series, which is scheduled to begin filming in April. Despite these reassurances, prior reports from The Sun stated that Fielding’s agents were in “crisis talks” with channel bosses regarding his position, stating that show bosses were in a hurry to solidify the line-up as “so much has to be put in place long before the cameras start rolling”.
The health concerns around Fielding surfaced around the New Year, when his wife, Lliana Bird, shared a positive message with her followers on social media. Sharing a photo of a Banksy piece, she wrote, “Happy new year beauties, may your next quarter century be full of love, joy and laughter.” The mix of conflicting reports and the sudden cancellation of his Apple TV show understandably led to a great deal of public worry regarding Fielding’s health and his future projects, but the confirmation that he will return to co-host The Great British Bake Off has put to bed any speculation that he will be departing the hit show – for now.
The situation, though, raises questions: if the show bosses are already geared up and ready to go, could there be a last-minute change of plan based on the information coming out of Fielding’s camp? If his health is a concern, how will this be addressed in the upcoming season at the tent?
The Great British Bake Off airs on Netflix (where it is called The Great British Baking Show) in the US and Channel 4 in the UK.