Alison Hammond admits Noel Fielding is the reason she really wanted Bake Off job
TV icon Alison Hammond will soon be on fans' screens on The Great British Bake Off, and the star has revealed that meeting Noel Fielding convinced her she wanted the job.
The This Morning host has divulged that she wasn't nervous auditioning for the role, but upon doing a chemistry test with Fielding, she knew she wanted the coveted co-hosting position.
Hammond has replaced Bake Off regular Matt Lucas and will be rubbing shoulders with judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood as she partners with Fielding.
Speaking to the Daily Mail she said: "Whenever I audition, I don't get nervous. I think, 'If I get it, I get it. If I don't, I don't.'"
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However, Fielding changed all of that. She added: "When I met Noel, I realised I wanted the job because I really liked him. He was charming, funny, into art. I am as well. I paint. We had lots in common."
Another element of the audition process was going back to her This Morning roots with the "basics" and showing the show producers her interviewing skills.
She said that she had to interview garden centre shoppers to show how she would talk to the bakers on the show and build rapport. As fans will know, one of the main ingredients to the show's popularity is getting to know who the bakers are and how their story has led them to the famous white tent.
Alison Hammond on Bake Off. The tent will never be the same again. #GBBO @AlisonHammond pic.twitter.com/34MaPfcwx6
— British Bake Off (@BritishBakeOff) March 31, 2020
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Hammond continued: "I started off interviewing people on This Morning and this was going back to basics.
"Fundamentally, it's being interested in somebody else. I do come across as loud and brash, but I also listen to what people have to say."
Leith was delighted to have another female on the team telling the publication that "it's so nice".
She added: "Alison's a breath of fresh air. Yes, she's naughty, but she leads the gang and has a tremendous base of kindness. She naturally likes people.
"On top of this is a teasing, spirited, fun woman. A really good combo. She's life-enhancing, there's no doubt."
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Hammond is no stranger to reality TV, having appeared on Big Brother back in 2002. She has also appeared on I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and tried her hand at baking on 2020's Celebrity Bake Off.
The show's first trailer teases Hammond's debut on the show, and by the short clip, she seems to be making herself right at home.
The Great British Bake Off airs on Channel 4 in the UK. In the US, it's known as The Great British Baking Show, and streams on Netflix.
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