Prue Leith has said that Russell Brand sent cake to be appraised by herself and co-star Paul Hollywood after filming the celebrity Great British Bake Off special.
The comedian and actor is among 20 stars taking part in the special charity edition of the Channel 4 baking programme for Stand Up To Cancer, along with the likes of Jeremy Paxman, Michelle Keegan and John Lithgow.
Leith told Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch that the Great Celebrity Bake Off is “absolutely hilarious, but not the best baking you’ve ever seen”.
She added: “I’m not allowed to say anything about the show but I can tell you that Russell Brand went home, so inspired by his baking and everybody else’s baking, that he sent Paul and me a piece of cake to judge about a week after.
“I should think he sent it by a chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce, but it came fresh and it was delicious.”
Other stars taking part in the Great Celebrity Bake Off include Rylan Clark-Neal, Nicola Adams, Big Narstie and Johnny Vegas.
The show will be hosted by Bake Off presenters Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding, and will air next spring.
Leith, 78, also praised Bake Off winner Rahul Mandal, calling him “very determined” although she also said he comes across as “socially incompetent”.
Asked what gave him the edge to win the latest series, Leith said: “He’s a scientist and I think the thing about Rahul is that although he looks very socially incompetent – he does, he looks absolutely as if he has not got the confidence to say hello to you.
“And socially he’s adorable, that’s why everybody loves him, and they feel protective about him. But he is a top scientist and he’s got a team working for him, and he is the boss and he knows exactly what he wants to do.
“He is amazingly ambitious, and you think, of all his bakes – if he ever got into trouble it’s because he wanted to do too much. And he’s very, he knows exactly what he’s doing.”
She added: “He’s just very determined and he’s quite simple: (he’ll say) ‘I’m going to try my best and I know I can do this and I will practise,’ and he practised and practised, so he took it very seriously.
“I mean, I’m not saying the others didn’t take it seriously, but his idea of serious is rather higher than most people.”
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