Noel Fielding, Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood will remain on The Great British Bake Off for at least the next three years.
After Noel’s co-presenter Sandi Toksvig made the shocking announcement this week that she is leaving the show, Channel 4 has confirmed to The Mirror that Noel and judges Prue and Paul are committed to the baking competition.
Meanwhile, Sandi revealed she decided to leave the show to focus on other projects, including Channel 4 adult literacy series The Write Offs.
Read more: Sandi Toksvig ‘quit Bake Off due to tensions’
She said in a statement: “When stepping down from a job it is quite common for people to say they are doing so in order to spend more time with their family.
“Unusually I am departing from The Great British Bake Off so I can spend more time with my other work.
“As my waistline will testify, Bake Off is an all-consuming show.”
And Noel admitted he is gutted to lose his sidekick and compared her exit to the animated children’s characters Tom and Jerry and Rolling Stones band members Sir Mick Jagger and Keith Richards being separated.
I feel like Tom without Jerry ! Mick without a Keef š gonna miss yooooooooooooooooo and the wonderful times we got to play together in the tent ! Double acts are rare and magical beast and working with you was a pleasure x x x all my love Mr Noel x pic.twitter.com/nkbuLpvQMs
— noel fielding (@noelfielding11) January 16, 2020
He tweeted: “I feel like Tom without Jerry ! Mick without a Keef š gonna miss yooooooooooooooooo and the wonderful times we got to play together in the tent ! Double acts are rare and magical beast and working with you was a pleasure x x x all my love Mr Noel x (sic)”
Prue said she has made a “lifelong” friend in Sandi.
She wrote on her own profile: “I have absolutely loved working with Sandi, she’s been a brilliant host and enormous fun and I am in awe of how hard she works juggling so many different projects.
“We shall be lifelong friends way beyond the tent.”
I have absolutely loved working with Sandi, she's been a brilliant host and enormous fun and I am in awe of how hard she works juggling so many different projects. We shall be lifelong friends' way beyond the tent. #GBBO #sanditoksvig #friendship https://t.co/R17Lvrjl2L pic.twitter.com/EbuEmEWLaT
— Prue Leith (@PrueLeith) January 16, 2020
Sandi admitted it has been one of the “great pleasures of [her] life” spending time with her co-host Noel and the judges.
She added: “Spending time with Prue, Paul and Noel has been one of the great pleasures of my life.
“These are friendships which I know will continue beyond the confines of television.
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“Bake Off is a wonderful programme which has already proved it can happily withstand a change of hosting personnel.
“The reason for that, of course, is that the true stars of the show are the bakers themselves. I wish everyone well.”
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