Alison Hammond made her long-awaited debut as the new host of the Great British Bake Off on Tuesday night – and it’s fair to say she’s got the Hollywood handshake from viewers.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that the This Morning favourite would be joining the Bake Off family as Noel Fielding’s new co-host, following the departure of Matt Lucas.
The new season is now finally underway, with Alison quickly winning over viewers thanks to her enthusiasm, charm and unique presenting style.
In fact, after the episode, many viewers were left sharing the same thought on social media, and claiming that it felt like Alison had always been part of the show’s Bake Off team…
These thoughts were echoed by The Mirror’s TV critic Sara Wallis, who wrote: “It was as if Alison had always been there, quipping innuendos, supporting the bakers [...] and riffing with Noel.”
“Viewers will fall in love with her all over again,” she added.
And it seems she’s got a point, with a wave of praise coming in on X (formerly known as Twitter), not just for Alison but the launch episode itself, which many said was a return to form for the long-running baking show…
Bake Off was originally hosted by comedy duo Mel and Sue when it launched on the BBC, but the duo stepped down when the show made the jump to Channel 4.
Noel Fielding has hosted the much-loved reality show since then, alongside Sandi Toksvig and later Matt Lucas, before Alison was welcomed into the fold.
The Great British Bake Off continues on Tuesday night at 8pm on Channel 4.