Noel Fielding has been named as a host of the Great British Bake Off. Photo / Supplied
Noel Fielding has been named as a host of the Great British Bake Off. Photo / Supplied
Fans of the Great British Bake Off were up in arms on Thursday following the announcement of Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig as the new hosts.
However it has now been claimed that the Mighty Boosh star, 43, and the comedienne were not the top choices for the role -and were only picked following the rejections of a number of other stars.
According to The Sun, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and comedic duo French and Saunders turned down the presenting gig prior to Noel and Sandi's appointment - which has left show bosses concerned about the new line-up's success.
A source told the paper that the channel's "most loyal presenters" did not believe the series could work away from the BBC - leading them to cast Noel and Sandi instead, alongside Prue Leith.
The insider then went on to claim that Love Productions, the creators of the original premise, are now concerned about what will happen to the show's popularity and cult following.
The producers are reportedly fearful that Noel, who is best known for his wacky sense of humour, will not translate with elderly viewers or school kids.
The Bake Off source continued: "A lot of people at Love Productions are worried about what Channel 4 is going to do with their show.
