Joanna Lumley and Jo Brand ‘front-runners to replace Sandi Toksvig on the Great British Bake Off’… after the host shockingly quit the C4 show
Fans of The Great British Bake Off were left stunned as Sandi Toksvig announced she had quit the show.
Rumours had been rife about who could be replacing her, but it’s now emerged that Joanna Lumley and Jo Brand are front runners to bag the job.
It’s also been reported that Steph McGovern and former GBBO winner Nadiya Hussain are also in the running.
In the running: Joanna Lumley and Jo Brand have been named as front runners to replace Sandi Toksvig on the Great British Bake Off after the host shockingly quit the C4 show
Sources revealed to The Sun that Channel 4 bosses are preparing to ‘formally approach’ commedienne Jo, 62, who is already the host of the spin-off show Extra Slice.
They also have their eye on Absolutely Fabulous star Joanna, 73, who is pals with the show’s judge Paul Hollywood, 53.
The source said: ‘Channel 4 are very much on a diversity drive at the moment so whilst Joanna might not seem like a natural choice, she would be a brilliant successor to Sandi – and very much a like-for-like replacement which is important to viewers.
‘But Jo Brand has polled very well internally – but the feeling is she won’t accept such a mainstream gig.
Over and out: Fans of The Great British Bake Off were left stunned as Sandi Toksvig announced she had quit the show
‘Steph McGovern is the new golden child of the channel, and with her own show about to start, has also been thrown into the mix. Meanwhile, Nadiya has gained considerable TV experience over the past couple of years, and would also be a popular choice.’
MailOnline have contacted representatives of Jo, Joanna and Channel 4 for comment.
Earlier this month, Sandi made the bombshell announcement that she was quitting as host of The Great British Bake Off, with her final episodes set to air this Spring as part of a series of celebrity specials.
In a statement the star confirmed she was leaving the show to focus on other work commitments, saying: ‘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.
First choice: Sources revealed to The Sun that Channel 4 bosses are preparing to ‘formally approach’ commedienne Jo, 62, who is already the host of the spin-off show Extra Slice
Favourite: They also have their eye on Absolutely Fabulous star Joanna, 73, who is pals with the show’s judge Paul Hollywood, 53
‘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.’
The statement continued: ‘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.’
Tipped: Journalist Steph McGovern’s name has been added to the mix
On the show? Former GBBO winner Nadiya Hussain is also in the frame
Sandi took over as the host of Bake Off alongside Noel Fielding in 2017, when Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins decided to leave the show following its move from BBC to Channel 4.
It has since been reported that the star had been unhappy on the show for some time before she officially announced her departure.
Speaking to the Sun a source said: ‘The atmosphere on set had been lively and upbeat, but as time went on Sandi seemed to be enjoying it less and less and just didn’t want to get involved.
‘She spent most of her time hiding out in what looked like a bijou shepherd’s hut she’d had set up, knitting on her own — and quite often grumbling about it all.’
Leaving: ‘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’
Sticking around: Since Sandi’s departure, it has been confirmed that judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith and host Noel Fielding will be staying with the show
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