For a family friendly show about baking, The Great British Bake Off sure does bring the drama. We’re just two episodes into series 15 and already we’ve had a contestant faint (Illiyn Morrison – don’t worry, she’s absolutely fine) and another quit the show.
Yep, Channel 4 have confirmed that sadly Jeff has decided to take a step back from the competition due to ill health.
And it’s turns out he’s not the only person to have quit Bake Off over the years…
Jeff (Series 15)
In emotional scenes, university lecturer Jeff was sadly forced to pull out of Bake Off 2024 due to illness.
In a letter shared on social media, Jeff spoke about his experience, writing ‘The Bake Off has been an amazing and challenging experience of a lifetime.
‘Although I was not able to continue for long, I still had the pleasure of meeting all of the incredible bakers from series 15. What a wonderful group of people and they were also excellent bakers. The production team are the nicest, most hardworking people you will ever come across. They are so supportive and positive – All the very best always, Jeff with every good wish!’
Dianne (Series 5)
When Dianne Beard quit Bake Off in 2014, many assumed that it was due to a Baked Alaska-related scandal dubbed ‘bin-gate’ in which the Women’s Institute judge was accused of melting Ian Watter’s showstopper.
Weeks later however, Dianne admitted that she’d quit the show after a dramatic fall. She told the Guardian, 'I don't want people to think I've wimped out. It's very sad that I had to go. Yes, it was hard work, of course it was, but the reason I had to leave the show was because I was down in Newbury and I fainted in the restaurant on the Friday night and I bashed my head and spent a night a night in Basingstoke A&E and I've lost my sense of taste and smell. It's an absolute bummer. My neurologist says it may never come back.’
Matt Lucas
Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding were an iconic hosting duo, so we were devastated when the Little Britain actor decided to leave Bake Off in 2022.
Taking to Twitter, Matt said, ‘Farewell Bake Off! It’s been a delicious experience and I can’t imagine a more fun way of spending my summers. After three series and 51 episodes, I am cheerfully passing the baguette on to someone else.
‘It’s become clear to me that I can’t present both Fantasy Football League and Bake Off alongside all my other projects.’
He was replaced by Alison Hammond for the 2023 series.
Sandi Toksvig
Whilst Matt’s departure from Bake Off seemed amicable, Noel's co-host before him didn’t hold back when explaining why she had decided to leave after just three seasons.
In an interview earlier this year Sandi Toksvig said, ‘To be honest, I left Bake Off because I stopped having fun. I was literally standing there watching meringues dry and thinking, “Oh my god, my brain is atrophying.”
‘So after three years, I thought, “That’ll do, go and do something else!”'
Mary Berry
The OG judge of Bake Off alongside Paul Hollywood, Mary Berry decided to leave the show when the hit competition made the move to Channel 4 in 2016.
Her statement at the time read, ‘What a privilege and honour it has been to be part of 7 years of magic in a tent – The Great British Bake Off. The Bake Off family – Paul, Mel and Sue have given me so much joy and laughter.
‘My decision to stay with the BBC is out of loyalty to them, as they have nurtured me, and the show, that was a unique and brilliant format from day one. Farewell to soggy bottoms.’
Mel and Sue
And it wasn’t just Mary who left when the show moved over to Channel 4, Melanie Giedroyc and Sue Perkins also stated that they would be stepping down from their roles as hosts.
But that wasn’t the only reason. In 2020 Sue revealed in an interview, ‘We resigned, basically because it was not a kind show. They were pointing cameras in the bakers’ faces and making them cry and saying, “Tell us about your dead gran.”
‘So we had very stiff words about how we wanted to proceed. I think we can say that, now we’re out of it, can’t we?’
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Daisy Hall is a News and Entertainment writer across Closer, heat, Grazia, Bella, Yours and Crime Monthly magazines.