Prue Leith Confirmed What Great British Bake Off Fans Suspect About Noel's Antics

Since 2010, "The Great British Bake Off" has been bringing viewers delectable desserts, kind yet fair judging, and groups of hopeful contestants that help the series succeed in its quest to create a show filled with feel-good vibes. Of course, none of this could be done without a variety of zany hosts, creating a line-up that's changed over time.

Comedian and actor Noel Fielding has been cracking jokes in the famous tent since 2017, often setting up jokes with Matt Lucas (before the "Doctor Who" star departed in 2023). While Noel comes off as an innocent bystander who slyly slides in jokes that make the audience pause and contestants laugh, judge Prue Leith has confirmed what fans of "The Great British Bake Off" have suspected about his antics.

Fielding enjoys setting up jokes with his co-host Alison Hammond, but he is also not afraid to hang out at the contestants' work stations. While some play along, other contestants look annoyed, and that annoyance may be real, according to Leith. She told Radio Times, "Sometimes the bakers long for them [Alison and Noel] to go away because they're against the clock and want to get on with it." 

Fielding has been known to disrupt progress, even knocking over a contestant's bowl of caramel with a rolling pin during the Season 12 episode "Caramel Week." While he enjoys being at the center of the action, there is another aspect of "The Great British Bake Off" formula that Fielding also revels in.

"The Great British Bake Off" has been applauded for its upbeat tone, making it a Netflix go-to in the United States since it moved to the streaming platform in 2018. However, it has also received plenty of attention for its more suggestive moments, which Noel Fielding is an active part of, and his antics are encouraged by judge Paul Hollywood. Prue Leith told Radio Times, "Paul and Noel go into hysterics over the word sausage ... like school boys, really."

This raunchy portion of the program goes all the way back to the days of judge Mary Berry (she left the "Bake Off" when it moved from the BBC to Channel 4), who was known for warning contestants about soggy bottoms. More recently, viewers took a pause and a laugh when Prue Leith started asking contestant Nicky Laceby several questions about her beaver cake during Season 11's cake week. Fielding mischievously tells Laceby that she's already won the challenge while Leith looks a little confused. She told Radio Times that she doesn't always get the innuendos, and that included this cute moment. At least Leith's primness made her a fine choice to ghostwrite a food column for the royal cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. 

Hollywood told TV Insider, "The atmosphere in the tent is very jovial, it's very happy, so when someone says something to spark somebody else off, it just goes through like wildfire." The acknowledgement of this specific animal cake is a perfect example of the organic nature of the show's humor. Fielding's reaction also proves that he knows how to call attention to the jokes that fans are already thinking about, allowing him to connect with viewers while elevating the show's cheekiness with his own charm.