Every week on the Great British Bake-Off, flustered bakers must complete three challenges; the signature challenge, where they offer their own spin on a theme; the technical, where they have to perfect a baked good they may never have made before with limited instructions, and a showstopper.
The technical challenges have tended towards controversy, as sometimes the instructions can be so cruelly incomplete it barely seems like the bakers get a chance.
Before the stressed contestants have to try their hand at the mystery challenge, though, we see Paul and Prue serenely nibbling on a perfect, Platonic ideal of whatever technical the bakers are expected to make.
But a listener to Marina Hyde and Richard Osman’s behind-the-scenes showbiz podcast The Rest Is Entertainment wanted to know who was really behind those picturesque pastries.
And?
According to telly legend Richard Osmand, it certainly isn’t Prue or Paul.
“On all of these shows, whether it’s Saturday Kitchen or Bake Off or whatever, or Nigella, all of these shows ― they all have home economists,” he shared.
Those are “people who will make the thing that’s, ‘oh I put this in the oven six hours ago and I’ve made this already,’ or as you say with Prue and Paul, ‘this is the perfect croquembouche.’”
How the bakes taste isn’t really the most important part in that case, he says: “they’re baking it to make it look perfect, like the perfect version of what you want.”
Speaking to the people on GBBO, the Thursday Murder Club author added that their lead home economist “who makes all those scenes look incredible is Hattie Baker” (talk about nominative determinism).
And how much notice does Hattie get for the bakes?
She gets sent the briefs about six weeks in advance, Richard said.
This gives her time to make the creations and helps the team to buy all the ingredients the contestants will need ― though occasionally there’s a last-minute change and a “poor runner has to go to the shops.”
However, he stressed that “Paul and Prue ― it’s not that they’re lazy and don’t want to bake.”
It’s just that “they are doing other things” at that time. “They’re in makeup, they’re shooting kind of pre-titles, they’re doing all sorts of stuff.”
One last thing ― Hattie revealed you can’t use dishwashers in the tent because they’re so noisy.
That means every last tray, bowl and spatula has to be washed by hand. Now THAT’s who should really be getting an (admittedly soapy) Hollywood handshake...