Lee Mack may only ever receive a wooden spoon for his culinary efforts, but there’s no doubt the comic placed first for entertainment in the Bake Off tent as four more celebrities got their pinnies out for the latest Stand Up To Cancer special.
Joined by Mel Sykes, Joe Lycett and Griff Rhys Jones for the Channel 4 bunfight, the Not Going Out star was in top form with a string of witty one liners – even if he managed to slice himself on sharp edges more than once and his baking skills failed to rise.
“If I don’t burn this tent down, I’ve won,” the 49-year-old deadpanned.
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While the tent may have survived intact, Lee didn’t manage that feat entirely – peeling skin off his finger rather than from an apple as he prepared maple and pecan blondies, breaking a pair of scissors and suffering another cut to his thumb during the technical challenge that was so bad Lee had to wear a medical glove.
Inspired by the sight of the single blue glove, Lee was later challenged by Noel Fielding to moonwalk like Michael Jackson. But the Would I Lie To You? team captain left host Noel doubled over in laughter as he took giant, slow and exaggerated steps like an astronaut rather than dancing in the manner of the late King of Pop.
But it was Lee’s terrible attempts at baking that drew the biggest laughs. Admitting from the get go he had no idea what he was doing – and, at one point, curling up on the floor in defeat – Lee joked about being on the receiving end of one of Paul Hollywood’s notorious stares as he got stuck into the Signature Challenge.
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“At least [Gordon] Ramsay just swears at you,” said Lee, comparing celebrity chef intimidation techniques.
Sandi Toksvig said under her breath: “You wait until Pruella has a go at you.”
Lee managed to produce only half of the dozen blondies required for the challenge – and the ones he did present to the judges barely even felt the heat from the oven.
“If they taste as good as they look, get me a sick bag,” Lee quipped to Paul, Noel and Prue Leith as they readied themselves to give his blondies a try.
Paul even offered his hand to congratulate Lee before raising it to his nose and wiggling his fingers as a wind up.
“It is very good breakfast food, I’d have that for breakfast. In a bowl of yoghurt,” sniped Prue as Lee wondered aloud whether he was being complimented or insulted.
“It is an insult,” she clarified.
“It is a very fair, positive take on a disaster.”
As Lee queried whether Prue was making a pass at him and inviting him round with her constant references to breakfast, he echoed her words: “She’d be putting a positive spin on a disaster then!”
Viewers adored Lee’s larking about, even if they didn’t fancy licking his bowl after his baking.
Catching up on @SU2C bake off and Lee Mack makes Jamie Laing look like a pro! Absolute TV gold!
— Charley T (@Charleytunni) March 27, 2018
Lee Mack on the bake off has me in stitches #bakeoff
— alex ღ (@Alex_Braybrooke) March 28, 2018
Lee Mack is cracking me up #GBBO
— shan (@Shannon_Leech) March 27, 2018
@LeeMack on #GBBO #StandUpToCancer is hilarious. I am absolutely howling
— (@vickis1888) March 28, 2018
Honestly refuse to believe there is anyone on this earth funnier than Lee Mack sorry
— Danielle (@watchingcIouds) March 28, 2018
#Celebritybakeoff so funny, I’m crying. #LeeMack is hilarious.
— MaryLovesBooks (@DakotaLula) March 28, 2018
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