Episode Two - Sarah Beeny, Amelia Dimoldenberg, Roman Kemp, and Maxine Peake

In the second episode, Broadcaster, best-selling author, businesswoman and podcaster Sarah Beeny, Broadcaster and creator of Chicken Shop Date Amelia Dimoldenberg, Broadcaster Roman Kemp, and Actress and writer Maxine Peake compete for the coveted Star Baker apron. 

This time, the bakers take cupcakes to a new level in the Signature, and in the Technical they try not to get into a flap with a classic. They open their hearts in the Showstopper, recreating their most memorable romantic date in biscuit form. Episode two premieres on Sunday 23 March, 19:40 on Channel 4, and on catch-up at Channel4.com. 

Sarah Beeny

A few years ago, you relocated from London to Somerset. Does that mean you spend your days blissfully baking in a kitchen with an Aga?
Errr, no, sadly not. That would be lovely. I’ve got an Everhot, actually, rather than an Aga, but I’m afraid I don’t really use it for baking. I’ve never really baked. I think I’m a bit too impatient. I have a very big family and a really big extended family, and I largely see baking as an extra that I never get around to doing. So this experience is really enjoyable, it feels like a really lazy day. 

Describe your baking style in one word.
Slapdash. I’m always slightly in a hurry for everything in life, and I realised today that I just don’t quite have the patience to cook really well. Someone the other day said to me “You don’t really cook, you cater.” And I think that’s probably true. Over the last 25 years, I’ve done a lot of cooking for large numbers of people. I can kind of cook for 60 people, but it’s not going to be gourmet food, it’s going to be spag bol. I can make a cake, but when it comes to the icing and the decoration, I can’t be bothered, and it really shows. I really admire people’s patience to make something look beautiful, but the food that I serve is always eaten so quickly that I’d be really cross if I’d spent a lot of time decorating it.

What’s your favourite baked good to eat?
I do like bread – you know sort of dark brown soda bread. [Whispers] I don’t actually like cake much. Can I say that? They’re really low on my priority list. I guess you’re like a pudding or a cheese person, and I’m a cheese person. Starter or pudding? Starter. Give me smoked salmon rather than dessert. That’s got bang for bucks!

Would you describe yourself as a foodie?
No, I think I’m too impatient to be a foodie. I mean, I do like food, but I’m not really a foodie. I like everything that goes around food. I like sitting with friends, and I like chatting and drinking wine, but I don’t really care what it is that’s on the plate.

So it’s more about the ritual for you?
It is, really. If you didn’t have to eat, and you could just sit around talking, that would be perfect. It’s just so much effort and so much washing up.

Is it true that you once ran a sandwich business?
I did! That was when I was about 17. I did start a sandwich business, but it wasn’t because I loved sandwiches, it was because I liked business. I got up at 5am, made sandwiches, and I took them round all the businesses in my local town. But it wasn’t a brilliant business, there was always loads left over, and so all my family had to eat sandwiches every single night, and they all got a bit bored of that. And then I moved on to a window cleaning business instead, so it wasn’t a very long-lived business. 

You’ve got four sons at home. You must have to have a very large fridge!
We do have quite a large fridge. I do go to other people’s houses, and they get out the peas, and you think “Is that for one person?” I know that other people are a bit shocked when they come to our house and I’ll just empty the whole bag of peas into the saucepan. My sons aren’t health freaks, but we do all eat a lot of vegetables. I only notice when I go to other people’s houses and they are sharing half a chopped up carrot, and I think “What’s that?” So the quantity of vegetables in our house is slightly over the top. But they do have big appetites, my sons. If we have steak, they’ll often ask if there’s another one, and I’ll explain to them that one if quite enough. And there’s quite a lot of discussion in our house about how they think Chicken Kyiv should be served in pairs, so everyone gets two each. Graham (my husband) suddenly turns into 1970s dad and says “You can eat a potato if you’re hungry. One Chicken Kyiv is quite enough.”

Have you had any notable culinary triumphs or disasters?
Oh God, millions of disasters! Loads of disasters with things like – I once cooked a cottage pie, and didn’t have enough space to keep it in the fridge, and it went off, and it went off and it smelled so bad I had to dig a hole in the garden to bury it. And I once cooked a Christmas lunch for 60 people in Yorkshire, and I stayed up far too late the night before and I put the turkey in the top right oven, not the bottom right oven. So by 6:30am it was completely cooked. And then all the fat went all over my feet and all over the floor. It sort of lasted until lunchtime, but it was all desiccated, and it all fell to bits, and you had to stick it together with gravy. But, to be honest, after a few glasses of prosecco, no-one cares, do they? So I’ve had lots of disasters, but I tend to work on the theory of try not to poison anyone, make sure everyone’s got enough food so they’re not hungry, and jobs a good ‘un. 

What are the strengths and weaknesses you’ll bring with you into the tent?
More weaknesses than strengths. But I’m actually having a really nice time. Normally, when you’re cooking, there’s a billion other things you’re trying to do at the same time. So it’s quite a luxury to be baking and not having people asking me to send an email or reply to something. I don’t do much focusing in life, and this is quite focussed, so it’s quite relaxing. So I’m not taking skill into the tent, but I’m probably having a much nicer time than the poor judges who have to eat it. It’s a bit like having little kids, when I used to bake cakes and flapjacks with them. It’s like that, but without the children to look after.

Only instead of feeding little kids, you’re feeding Paul and Caroline, which is a slightly different prospect…
Yeah, they’re a tiny bit more judgemental. But also, they don’t make a huge mess and throw it all around the room. And also, someone else clears it all up, which is brilliant. I literally haven’t touched the washing up all morning.

Are you a fan of Bake Off?
I really like Bake Off. I don’t watch much telly, to be honest. In fact, I’d go so far as to say I don’t really know how to turn it on. I’m not very good at sitting still long enough to watch telly. 

Have you sought advice from anyone ahead of the show?
I spoke to a few people and asked if they had any ideas, and the general consensus was “You’re stuffed.” I don’t think anyone is expecting me to win. 

Amelia Dimoldenberg

Can you bake?
I can kind of follow a recipe, but I haven’t baked since I was a teenager. As a teenager, and at primary school, after school, to cure my boredom, I would lock myself in the kitchen and bake, and wouldn’t let anyone else in the kitchen. Nobody was allowed in until I’d finished making my cupcakes or my Victoria Sponge. Or I made an upside-down fruitcake once. But I’ve not baked since I was basically a child. So can I bake? Debatable.

So have you been trying to lock everyone out of the tent so you can bake in splendid isolation?
Yeah, it’s so annoying, there’s so many people in there. People talking to you, there’s cameras in your face, it’s a nightmare. Also, I’m taking it very seriously. I’ve been practicing, I had my friend who’s a professional baker help me do a test run and come up with a recipe. I just did the signature bake, and I was measuring out everything to the gram. If it was one gram over I was spooning stuff out.

Describe your baking style in one word.
Try-hard. That’s two words.

What’s your favourite baked good to eat?
Probably a chocolate brownie. I also love Victoria Sponge.

Would you describe yourself as a foodie, or is it all just fried chicken in your life?
I’m not a foodie. I don’t like to be hungry, but I’m not obsessed with food. I’ve always had a very plain palate when it comes to food. I like beige food. I love chicken, it’s probably the only meat I eat apart from sausage rolls. And I love pasta, plain pasta with butter, or pasta with tomato sauce. I don’t have a very adventurous taste when it comes to food. And I don’t cook at all.

Have you had any culinary triumphs or disasters you can think of?
Well, I had a cooking show on my YouTube channel, and every single thing I made was a disaster. I thought it would be a good idea to have a cooking show. The first ever cooking show by someone who doesn’t cook and doesn’t really like food. I’m really bad. I usually burn toast.

You took part in Celebrity Come Dine with Me. How did that go?
I can’t even remember what I cooked! I’m not really a natural host. I don’t cook, I never have dinner parties, so it was a new thing for me, to have people round to my house and cook for them. Like most things, I was painfully average at it. I came somewhere in the middle, which is probably what will happen with Bake Off as well. 

You’ve also been the red carpet correspondent at the Oscars. Presumably you’re pretty good at handling your nerves?
I’m good at handling my nerves when it comes to red carpets and interviewing people. But interviewing people is a skill I’ve been honing for ten years now, whereas baking, I’m a novice. So I actually panic in the kitchen. I even panic about the utensils. I don’t know what you do with them. It’s all a bit much, really. Ovens are scary.

What are the strengths and weaknesses you’ll bring with you into the tent?
I think I’m good at ideas. I’m quite creative, I can think outside the box. Other than that, I’m bringing a really cute outfit. And I’m going to try and bring some positive energy as well.

Are you a fan of Bake Off?
Yeah, I love Bake Off.

What’s it like, walking into the tent for the first time?
It was crazy. It’s just so cool. I love being on set, being behind the scenes of things. When we used to use DVDs, my favourite part was skimming to the end to see how they made it. I love seeing behind the curtain of stuff. So being on set is so exciting. It’s really nice in there.

You’ve got the technical coming up. What’s the worst thing you could be asked to make?
Some kind of pastry. Any kind of pastry I’ll be terrible.

Is it an intimidating moment when you look up and see Caroline or Paul studying you?
Yes. Also very surreal, to see Paul Hollywood just there. And also Noel and Alison. I’m such a fan of all of them, so it’s really surreal. You really do feel like you’re in a television show. Which I am. But I feel like I’ve broken into the TV.

You’ve said you’re taking it very seriously. How badly do you want to win?
Oh I’d love to be a star baker, but I really can’t see it happening.

Will you be hitting up any of your fellow contestants for a Chicken Shop Date?
I’ll have to see how it goes. Maybe if Paul gives me a handshake I’ll get him on.

Lastly, why are you doing this? Why is SU2C important to you?
Cancer is something that affects so many people. Anything that we can do to raise money to try and find a cure, I’m all for it. There’s too much heartbreak caused by cancer, it affects too many families, and we really, really need a cure.

Roman Kemp

Can you bake?
Absolutely not. I have zero baking skills. And I won’t lie to you, I’m doing this without any practice. 

Describe your baking style in one word.
Immeasurable. I don’t think measuring stuff is great, so I do it all by taste and eyes. Whether or not I kill anyone remains to be seen. Maybe the word should be ‘hazardous’. 

What’s your favourite baked good?
A Bakewell tart. It’s a rogue one, but I would place it above cake. 

Would you describe yourself as a foodie?
Yeah. I think I’m probably more into savoury food. I like trying other people’s cooking, but I like what I like, if that makes sense. If the world stopped now and said “There’s no more new foods coming out” I’d be fine with that.

Am I right that you once tried to eat a two-stone burger?
Yeah. I’ve done food challenges in the past where I’ve eaten the world’s hottest chilli, or an entire chocolate orange within two minutes. And one time I did a two-stone burger and I failed. I got about halfway through and I had to bail.

What was the worst challenge you had to do?
The worst one was the chillies. We had to do Carolina Reaper chillies, and it was horrendous. I had to go to hospital to get my stomach looked at, because I did a couple in succession.

Do you still believe that food tastes better in the left side of your mouth?
Yes, because you have better taste receptors there.

Is that true?
Yes, it’s true! Humans are built with taste receptors on one side of their mouth. So you actually push it towards one side. 

So will you be urging Paul and Caroline to put the food in on the correct side?
Yeah, definitely, it’s got to be on the left, exactly that!

Lots of people enjoy a bit of cake or a baked good with a cup of tea. Is it true you’d never had a cup of tea until two years ago?
Yeah, I’d never had a cup of tea. And I’ve still never finished one. I think tea tastes like dirty water. I really don’t get it. Drinks aren’t meant to be hot. They’re meant to be refreshing. 

So it’s not just tea, it’s coffee as well?
Oh yeah, it’s hot drinks in general. It was Mary Berry who tried to get me into tea. Even she couldn’t do it.

A lot of people use fresh fruit on their bakes. Is it true you don’t eat fruit?
Yep. I don’t eat fruit, and I don’t really eat anything green, apart from broccoli.

How are you still alive?
I actually question this quite a lot. I don’t know how. No fruit, no veg, I’m just alright. 

Do you cook much in everyday life?
Yes I do. I’m a good cook, I just don’t bake. I like things that I can change as I go along. With cooking you can do that, you can taste it and see where you’re at. You can’t really tweak a baking recipe.

What’s been your biggest culinary triumph?
Everyone always says a Beef Wellington is hard, but I’ve always managed to do that. I like making curries and things like that. Or making my own fresh pasta. I love it all. Greek food is great to make as well.

Have you ever had any culinary disasters?
I’ve blown up two microwaves in my time.

How did you do that?
Tin foil. I’m a huge user of a microwave, which gets too much shade, if I’m honest. I think a microwave is great, what an invention!

What are the strengths and weaknesses you’ll bring with you into the tent?
One of the strengths is my attitude, which is very much “Let’s just see what happens out there.” I think one of my weaknesses is also my attitude, because I’m very much “Let’s just see what happens out there.” Paul can’t really work out if he likes me or not. On the one hand, I’m very relaxed about the whole thing. But there’s a fine line between being relaxed and being overly confident.

Are you a fan of Bake Off?
I love it! Bake Off’s been something that is always a part of my household, ever since it’s been on. And it’s something that has legendary status all around the world now. As someone that does gogglebox, the amount of bake Off that we watch on that alone is incredible. So to actually be able to do it, to put on the apron, is really special. 

What’s it like, walking into the tent for the first time?
It’s really weird walking into the tent, because it’s massive. It’s so big! It’s very surreal. There are very few moments, when you’re working in TV, that you kind of get a bit starstruck. And it’s usually not by celebrities, it’s by where you are. For me, that was the case walking in there. 

You have described Arsenal as the greatest love of your life. Can we expect to see a Gunners-themed bake?
Thing is, I can’t be shy of the colour red, so red will be popping up. North London, and London as a whole, is red, so red will be on show. Arsenal will always be the love of my life, of course. 

Is it an intimidating moment when you look up and see Caroline or Paul studying you?
Yeah. Caroline is very sweet – I think because she’s new, she’s purposely being quite nice. But Paul, the old dog, is just there, and he’s got those eyes. He looks quite similar to my dad, with the silver hair and the blue eyes. I called him a pub version of Martin Kemp.

To his face?
God no! Strictly behind his back, when he was far away. 

Are you competitive? How badly do you want to win?
When it comes to football, very competitive, but in other things in life, I like seeing good people have fun. And this, for me, is always about fun. I love a bit of friendly competition, but I want to make sure that I have fun. I don’t want to be stressing. The worst thing you can do is really stress, because that makes you forget things.

This isn’t your first SU2C show. You took part in a Celebrity First Dates. Which put you more out of your comfort zone?
Weirdly this. This is like a quadruple date – there’s four of you to get along with, and you’re surrounded by delicious food. So it’s not too dissimilar from First Dates. First dates, you just sit there and have a drink and a chat. This is pretty intense.

Why are you doing this? Why is SU2C important to you?
I think it should be important to everyone. One-in-two of us will get cancer at some point in our lives, and it’s something that is so prevalent, so doing anything to raise awareness, and to help funding for further research, is vital. I’m very privileged that I get to do fun things like this, in aid of a cause like that. 

Maxine Peake

You’re back in front of the cameras, with an apron on. Does it take you back to starting out on Dinnerladies?
No, not at all, because Dinnerladies was much less stressful! Even in front of a studio audience! Obviously, it’s brought up some memories. Particularly as Victoria did Bake Off all those years ago [in 2015] and won Star Baker. It’s been lovely chatting to Paul and Noel about Dinnerladies, and they’re big fans of Vic’s work. But I’m about as useful in the kitchen as Twinkle was!

Can you bake?
No. I’m giving it a go, but I think I’ll probably leave it after this, for everyone’s sake.

Describe your baking style in one word.
Paul Hollywood referred to it as ‘informal’. 

What’s your favourite baked good?
Ooh, I love a Victoria Sponge with real cream. 

Would you describe yourself as a foodie?
No. I eat a lot of it, but I’m not a connoisseur.

Do you cook much in everyday life?
No to that as well. I don’t. Luckily my husband, Pav, he really enjoys cooking. At least, he says he does. He has to, otherwise we probably wouldn’t eat. I find it time-consuming and a bit complicated. I’m just too lazy and impatient. 

What’s been your biggest culinary triumph?
I suppose, when I did the first trial run for this, the fact that it came out and was edible was a bit of a surprise. I’d made something I could eat, that was a triumph for me. 

What are the strengths and weaknesses you’ll bring with you into the tent?
I suppose strength is being able to have a sense of humour. I can be competitive, but not in things I know I’m no good at. So in this, I’ll be perfectly happy to come last. I’m perfectly happy to have the mickey taken out of me. Weaknesses? Not having any skill. And also getting more stressed than I expected. At times I’ve wondered if it might just be better if I went home. I’m not a quitter in my job, but in something like this, I have wondered at times how I can possibly move forward. 

Are you a fan of Bake Off?
I am. My sister Lisa’s a huge fan, and she’s so excited that I’m in the same air space as Paul Hollywood. I had to tell her I was coming on, because I needed her help. She’s a really good baker. It was really nice just spending time with her. She’s really very excited by it all. She’s never texted me so much in her entire life. 

Will she be dismayed when she sits down and watches your performance?
No, she absolutely knows I’m useless. When we were young, anything that was deemed a female role, I’d say “I’m not doing that!” I rebelled against cooking, because it was what people expected me to do. And I think I just carried that on. That’s my excuse now, and I’m sticking to it!

What’s it like, walking into the tent for the first time?
It’s quite nerve-wracking. But it’s lovely in there. It’s very bright and fresh and actually pretty chilly in there first thing in the morning. But it’s odd, being somewhere that you’ve seen so much on television. For ten minutes I was just staring into space wondering what I’d done, and coming to terms with the fact that this was actually happening.

What aspect of the show are you most nervous about?
Being myself, I think. I’m not used to being in a situation where it’s me, as opposed to a character I’m playing. You want to be entertaining, but you don’t want to be annoying. I found that really difficult, and that made me really nervous. Being myself in a room full of lots of famous people. I’m sort of in awe of all the other contestants. 

It's true, you don’t really do shows like this. Why have you decided to make an exception?
Maybe because I’m getting a bit older? And because it’s for Stand Up To Cancer, and I lost my mum to pancreatic cancer 16 years ago. And one of my closest friends, Philippa, got diagnosed with breast cancer just before lockdown. She’s had the all clear now, thank goodness, but she had a really difficult journey through her treatment, she was very, very poorly from the chemo. When it’s that close to you… and it’s something one-in-two of us will get. So it touches everybody. When they asked, I thought “No, I can’t.” And then I thought: “No, you can!” It’s a great cause, and it’s fun as well. 

Of all the characters you’ve played, who would be the most capable in the Bake Off tent?
I did a show called The Village, and I played a character called Grace Middleton, a farmer’s wife, and she’d be good. But a bit more of a leftfield pick would be a comedy series called Early Doors, and I played a character called Janice. And she could turn her hand to anything. She’s also got an artistic flair too. She’d do a mean Victoria Sponge. And Twinkle probably would have been pretty good at it too. 

Is it an intimidating moment when you look up and see Caroline or Paul studying you?
Yeah, but they’re so lovely. I feel bad, because these people are experts in their field, and they’re just watching me destroy a recipe. And then there are moments when you just want to throw your bake against the wall, and you realise you’ve got a cameraman there with a lens up your left nostril. But that’s what you sign up for. 

What would it mean to you to get a Hollywood handshake?
Can you imagine? I wouldn’t wash my hand again. I’d spontaneously combust – mostly out of shock.

Stand Up To Cancer is a joint national fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4 that brings the UK together to speed up progress in life-saving cancer research.