Ellie Taylor | Bake Off : The Professionals Press Pack 2026

Ellie is a comedian, actor and writer whose work encompasses TV, radio, social media, live stand-up and books. Her extensive body of acting work includes appearing as Sassy in all three series of AppleTV+’s award-winning Ted Lasso. She was part of the core cast of hit satirical shows The Mash Report and Late Night Mash with her clips becoming worldwide viral hits. One of them, “Women have told everyone to just f*ck off” has been watched over 100 million times and shared by Jennifer Aniston and Madonna.

Ellie was one of five UK comedians to be featured in Netflix’s trailblazing Comedians of the World series, with her stand-up special Cravings. She has appeared on a large number of comedy shows, including Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week, Would I Lie to You and 8 Out of 10 Cats. She’s also hosted shows including series 5 of The Great Pottery Throw Down, Let’s Make a Love Scene, You Won’t Believe This, Cheat, and Pointless, and appeared as a contestant in the 2022 series of Strictly Come Dancing. In 2021, she published her debut book, My Child and Other Mistakes, which became a Sunday Times bestseller.

Interview

This is her fourth series as presenter of Bake Off: The Professionals, alongside Liam Charles.

We’re back for series 11. What was the standard like this year?

Oh, it was brilliant. A really good year, actually. It was really exciting right up until thelast minute of the final. I really enjoyed it.

Talk to me about the chefs, and the institutions they were representing.
There were a few fancy hotels and restaurants, there were a lot of small independent businesses, there was a little chocolatier – a real mix. Loads of different characters. They were a really good bunch.

How do all the chefs get on behind the scenes? Is it collegiate, or are they all really competitive?
They seem to get on really well. I’m around them most when they’re actually competing, and obviously it’s really stressful at that stage, but as far as I could gather, they seemed to be some really good friendships formed. That was really lovely to see. 

There are a couple of childhood showpieces – toys and hobbies. Did you have a favourite childhood toy? 
No, I didn’t really do toys. I think I just demanded my parents’ attention all the time. I remember having cuddly toys, but not toys to play with, as such. My favourite toy was probably my stuffed elephant called Squashy. That’s what I would have made. He would have been good out of choux, I reckon. 

What were your hobbies as a kid?
The usual stuff. Dancing, drama, netball, basketball. A bit of half-hearted guitar at one point, but that didn’t last long. You try a few things as a kid, to see what you fancy.

Did you have a favourite challenge from the series?
I liked the biscuit landmarks. Modern landmarks made from biscuit – that was amazing. And I enjoyed the floating showpiece, we had some real corkers on that.

And there was a Shakespeare challenge. What did that involve?
They all tended to go for the romance and comedy side, rather than the tragedy, which I guess is understandable. Though I seem to remember there were a few tragedies with the actual creations! It’s always so high stakes. And, of course, there was sugar week as well. Oh my goodness, we had some bangs and crashes, let me tell you. 

As an English literature graduate, are you a fan of Shakespeare? Is Troilus and Cressida your bedtime reading?
Always! I can’t remember the last time I went to see a Shakespeare play when it wasn’t something to do with a dissertation. I don’t think I’ve been to see any since I graduated. I was in a few Shakespeare plays at university, but nothing since. But there are some cracking roles in there. But it’s not my bedtime reading, I have to admit.

There’s a summer holidays showpiece. Is there a particular holiday that you would memorialise in pastry?
We used to go to Eurocamp in France – there was a lot of driving in cars and mobile homes and stuff – that was great fun as a kid. So maybe I’d memorialise a static caravan. 

What was the final like? I gather there was a twelve-hour challenge!
Yes, it was the longest one ever. It was quite a feat of endurance. But the chefs came up with some fantastic work. They had to do showpieces and then five different desserts, each feeding  45 people. There were a lot of cakes knocking around, it was glorious. And the standard was amazing.

What happens to all of the creations after judging? Does everyone dive in with a spoon, or take food home?
Both of those things! ‘Wrap’ will be called, and then I’ll fish out a fork, have a go at what I fancy, and anything that meets my test, which is “What’s tasty and will travel well in the car?” will be brought home to my husband and my mum and dad who like to sample the wares. There was a giraffe once, in one of the shows, and one of the team said “It’s my child’s birthday party this weekend and we’re having a jungle theme, can I take this chocolate giraffe’s head? That would be a perfect table centrepiece.” So it’s really nice when things like that get used. 

What did you all get up to behind the scenes? 
It’s such a lovely bunch, I love hanging out with them all. We’ll go for dinner together, Cherish sometimes makes me lunch on set – she has her own mini-kitchen in her dressing room. I’ll come into my dressing room and there’ll be this beautifully-plated selection of yummy things on my table. She’ll explain what everything is, and sometimes she’ll make me this special tea in the morning. Cherish is amazing. She’s wonderful, I love her. One week we all brought in things that we’d made, which is quite stressful, bringing in stuff for Benoit, Cherish and Liam. But they appreciated my parmesan and pistachio crackers. So that was good fun. They’re just a really lovely bunch, and they’re really passionate about patisserie and the chefs. They’re really invested in it, which is lovely to see. My mum came to the set and she said “It’s like a sixth form common room.” That’s exactly what it’s like, really good craic. 

How do you relax, when you’re not working?
I tend to wear pyjamas all day. I enjoy not having to travel and wear five layers of makeup. I look like a goblin when I’m not filming. I’m in goblin-mode today, wearing the top that I slept in after doing the school drop-off. I have very little pride when I’m not filming. I’m just like any other working parent, figuring out how to see my children and be a good mother while also being a professional idiot. 

Has the show inspired you to bake at home?
Not more than I already did, I don’t think. I have more of an appreciation for the fancy, beautiful things that the chefs make. But if anything, it just makes me go “What’s the point?” They’re great. Let the people who know what they’re doing do it, and then I’ll buy it from a shop or a bakery, thanks very much. Me and my daughter did have a go at making choux buns – we wanted to make chocolate eclairs, and I don’t know what we did, but they were absolutely flat as pancakes. I sent pictures to Benoit and Cherish, and they just couldn’t work out what I’d done. I take that as a compliment. That’s how bad a chef I am, that I can confuse even the experts. 

What are you like as a cook? What’s your go-to dish?
I’m okay. I love making pasta. If me and my husband are having a nice dinner together, one of us will knock up something delicious like that. A delicious tomato-ey something-or-other pasta, a glass of red wine, watching something silly on the telly, that is a dream Friday night.

Speaking of pasta, apparently your kids rate your husband’s bolognese as better than yours. How do you feel about that?
It stung at first, but I’m used to it now. He does most of the cooking. I can’t remember the last time I made a bolognese. So, to be fair, I’m not shipshape and match-fit, and he is. As long as I get to eat it, I don’t mind.

A Love Production for Channel 4