The Great British Bake Off co-host Matt Lucas knows how to make a swift yet classy exit.
The 48-year-old announced on Dec. 6 on his official social media pages that he was leaving the cooking competition series after three seasons. Lucas first joined The Great British Bake Off, which was previously described as the most wholesome television show by numerous news outlets, in 2020.
Lucas revealed in the lengthy post that the main reason behind his departure was because of his busy schedule. He said, “Farewell Bake Off! It’s been a delicious experience and I can’t imagine a more fun way of spending my summers, but it’s become more clear that I can’t be present both ‘Fantasy Football’ and ‘Bake Off’ alongside my other projects. So after three series and 51 episodes, I am cheerfully passing on the baguette on to someone else.”
The star continued the post by thanking Love Productions, the company producing The Great British Bake Off, Channel 4, his co-hosts, crew, and contestants. Lucas wrapped up his remarks by offering encouragement to the person who would eventually take his place.
While sharing he’s excited to watch the show as a viewer rather than a host, Lucas said, “I wish whoever takes over all the very best, and I can’t wait to tune into the next series without already knowing who won.”
Following Lucas’ announcement, a couple of The Great British Bake Off co-hosts, including Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith, and Noel Fielding, expressed how much they will miss working with him.
Hollywood retweeted Lucas’ post and wrote, “You will be missed @RealMattLucas, good luck with everything you’ve got planned … you’ve been awesome xx.” While Leith brought up how much she enjoyed working with Lucas, writing in a tweet, “I have absolutely loved working with you @RealMattLucas. Thank you for bringing so much laughter and fun to the tent. x Prue.”
A short time later, Fielding took Lucas’ Instagram post to recount their delightful moments.
He said, “Totally respect your decision matt ! But I will miss your spark in the tent and I will miss you channeling other characters at the drop of a hat…I will miss your big smile and your sense of fun and silliness. I will miss our writing days in that ridiculous room with the high ceilings snd I will miss us giggling like naughty school boys when Paul say “Eggy “in his Scouse accent. You were so lovely to work with and so kind to the bakers. Have fun on your next adventure and remember ‘It’s all about the show stopper'”.
Aside from Lucas’ departure announcement, it is unclear if his exit was influenced by other factors, including the regular criticisms he received from fans. Since then, no further news has been released at this time.