'Great British Baking Show' Host Exits Show

By Daniel S. Levine

The Great British Baking Show host Matt Lucas revealed he is stepping down from the popular U.K. and Netflix competition reality series. Lucas, 48, served as host with The Mighty Boosh star Noel Fielding across three seasons. The comedian's decision comes after Sky revived Fantasy Football League, a comedy sports talk series that he also hosts.

"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 clear to me that I can't present both Fantasy Football League and Bake Off, alongside all my other projects," Lucas wrote in a statement Tuesday. "So, after three series and 51 episodes, I am cheerfully passing the baguette on to someone else."

Lucas went on to thank series producer Love Productions and U.K. broadcaster Channel 4. He also thanked his co-stars and the bakers for welcoming him to the show. "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," Lucas wrote.

Lucas joined The Great British Baking Show, known as The Great British Bake-Off in the U.K., before Season 11. He replaced Sandi Toksvig as Fielding's co-host. Paul Hollywood and Dame Prue Leith are the show's current judges. Season 13 recently finished up, with Syabira Yusoff winning. The production has not named a replacement for Lucas yet.

The comedian shot to fame with the sketch comedy series Little Britain. He also played Tweedledee and Tweedledum in Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass. His other acting credits include Shaun of the Dead, Bridesmaids, Paddington, Gnomeo & Juliet, King Arthur's Disasters, Community, Bull, and Legends of Tomorrow. He was also a guest panelist on the U.K. version of The Masked Singer.

In September, Lucas began co-hosting a new version of Fantasy Football League with Elis James. They are replacing original series stars David Baddiel, Frank Skinner, and Angus "Statto" Loughran. The revival will run 16 episodes and is available on Sky Max and NOW.

"I loved watching Fantasy Football League with Frank, David, and Statto and am chuffed to bits to be a part of this new incarnation," Lucas said in September. "I now make a living eating cake and watching football. I must be the luckiest man in the world. I also get to share the sofa with Elis, who is not only hilarious but the biggest football geek I've ever met. See you next season."

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