Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood might be remaining tight-lipped on their ‘Great British Bake Off’ future, but a contender to their ‘Bake Off’ judging crowns has already emerged.
Jamie Oliver is the frontrunner for their jobs should they decide to quit, after he previously stated that he’d “love” to be one of the judges on the baking show.
Presenters Mel and Sue have already confirmed they’re leaving the show after it was bought by Channel 4, with many believing Mary and Paul will follow them out of the ‘Bake Off’ tent.
Jamie has made no secret of his love of the show - or the fact that he’d love to be involved.
Speaking to Now magazine, Jamie said: “We watch Bake Off. The whole family loves it.
“Secretly, there’s always a part of me in mourning because I’d love to be one of the judges.
“I love Mary Berry and it’s really great watching.”
The 41-year-old chef was offered a judging role on the short-lived US version of the show in 2013 but couldn’t tale part due to other work commitments. He said at the time that it had been “a big regret for me”.
Mary and Paul have previously stated that they’d want the show to stay at the Beeb and reportedly refused to move to ITV during negotiations this year.
Mary’s husband, Paul Hunnings, has also hinted that she won’t be keen on moving to Channel 4.
He told the Daily Mail: “She’s very happy with the BBC, put it that way.”
In an interview earlier this year, Paul Hollywood also stated he would want to stay at the BBC.
“It’s not up to us, it’s up to the production company, but as far as Mary, Mel, Sue and myself are concerned we want to stay on the BBC,” he said.
Meanwhile, bookmaker Coral have also tipped former ‘Celebrity Masterchef’ winner Lisa Faulkner as a contender to replace Mary and Paul if they decide to leave the show.
Last year’s ‘Bake Off’ champ Nadiya Hussain is also in the running, along with ‘An Extra Slice’ presenter Jo Brand and ‘Location Location Location’ stars Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer.
Other names in the hat include Joanna Lumley, Davina McCall and the comedian Ed Byrne.