Interview with Liam Charles - Presenter

Liam first came to prominence as a 19-year-old student competing in the eighth series of The Great British Bake Off, where he won the hearts of the nation in his eventful run to the quarter-finals. The following year he was announced as a host for the third series of Bake Off: The Professionals, and the year after that he was appointed as a judge on Junior Bake Off – both roles he continues to fulfil. 

In 2022 Liam served as a judge for The Platinum Pudding Competition, a nationwide baking competition to discover a new pudding recipe dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II as part of the official Platinum Jubilee celebrations. That same year, he appeared in the second series of The Masked Dancer. 

He has written two cookbooks, Cheeky Treats: 70 Brilliant Bakes and Cakes, and Second Helpings. He has also written a column on baking for The Guardian. This will be Liam’s eighth series hosting Bake Off: The Professionals.

Do you think the show has changed in that time?
I feel like the chemistry between myself, Cherish, Benoit, and latterly Ellie, just gets better and better the more time we spend with each other. I also think the challenges have got a lot harder. I know that’s a bit rich coming from me, who can’t do most of the challenges, but they seem to me to have got more difficult as the years have passed. The chefs are using a lot of cool new techniques as well. I think the show has just become a little more slick as time has gone by. 

Do you think the standard gets higher every year?
I reckon the standards fluctuate, but I think the ideas the chefs come up with are more ground-breaking than they were. Especially this year! There’s a challenge that’s never been done before which is really, really cool. It’s a floating showpiece. The showpiece actually has to float on water. So they have to make a dessert, and make sure their showpiece structure is sound, but they also have to think about its weight distribution, to make sure it really floats.

Did you have any other favourite challenges from this series?
I always like when they do a savoury Viennoiserie. In amongst so much sweet stuff, it’s always nice to try something savoury halfway through the shoot. Oh, you know what was really cool? We had a special guest judge. She worked on the film Wonka. And the challenge itself was really cool. On face value it was pretty straightforward – they had to make different chocolate bars – but they had to colour their own cocoa butter, which is really time-consuming and difficult. So that was really fun, and talking to her was amazing, hearing how the film worked.

Do you actually get to properly observe and enjoy watching the chefs prepare their work, or are you always thinking about filming the next link?
Obviously my job is to prepare and present the links, but when that’s done – because obviously I’m still a baker – I definitely go around and see if I can pick up any tricks of the trade. I’m always learning. 

Are there any challenges that the chefs always struggle with?
Anything that’s sugar-based. Chocolate showpieces are a lot more forgiving – if they do break you can melt a bit of chocolate and stick it back together, whereas when it comes to a sugar showpiece, if it breaks, it smashes into a million pieces, and there’s never enough time to remake that specific piece. And we get quite a broad range of results when it comes to the secret recipe challenges, because that’s just a massive curveball – they never know what they’re going to make. 

What do you do when they become emotional? Do you help them out with a cuddle and a pep talk or give them space?
It depends on their personalities. Some chefs definitely need a pep talk and a hug, some chefs you just know to leave alone. And some chefs might need some hard truths. The longer we spend time with them, the better we know how to support them as much as possible. 

You studied drama at uni. Do you think that’s why you’re a natural presenter – the performer in you?
I guess so. Even before I studied drama, people always thought I’d get into some sort of job like this. I guess studying drama just helped me refine my craft. But having a drama degree 100 per cent helps. 

Do you still fancy the idea of acting?
Yeah, definitely. But it has to be the right thing. What is nice about what I’m doing now is I get to be myself. But it would be great to play a fictional character at some point. That’s why I also love the links that we do at the start of the series. The one last year, the James Bond one, I just loved it. Even though it was just for a short period of time, I was allowed to embody someone that wasn’t me, so that was fun. 

After ten years of the show, what are the main qualities a team needs to win the whole thing?
Communication. You’d be surprised to see the amount of chefs, over the ten years of the show, that don’t really talk. Communication is definitely key. Delegation is really important too – you need to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. And I think you need to enjoy it. There’s so much on the line, in terms of reputation, but if you don’t enjoy it, you’re going to be stressed, and then it’s a downward spiral from there. 

How good are you at predicting who Benoit and Cherish are going to put through?
If I’m honest, I’d say I get it right 90 per cent of the time. Only because I know what Cherish and Benoit look for. 

Is there ever any part of you that disagrees with them?
Yeah, sometimes. I judge Junior Bake Off, though the scope is totally different. But obviously they’re the pros, so what they say goes. But once or twice I’ve thought I might have done it differently. 

In the history of Bake Off: The Professionals, do you have a favourite creation that chefs have made?
I will go back to my first season. There were the winners, Emmanuel and Sam – I think it was their first showpiece. The theme was Black Forest gateau, and they made this chocolate clock and this forest – it was one of the best things I’ve seen. And last year’s winners, TJ and Narayan, made a hanging showpiece – they made an incredible mythical beast, it was so detailed, it was sick. Those two showpieces definitely stick out for me.

You’ve said in the past that whenever you wrap an episode, you put a speaker on in the dressing room and dance. Do you still do that?
Yeah, we did that this year. That’s one of our things.

Who’s got the best and worst taste in music?
You know what? The main DJ is Sharon – she’s our stylist. She puts on tunes, and then occasionally me, Benoit, Ellie and Cherish will add to the playlist. I think we vibe with each other’s music taste. So it’s never like “Oh no, Benoit’s put on a song, no-one’s dancing!” 

You’re the only person who’s been in front of the camera on Bake Off, Junior Bake Off and Bake Off: The Professionals. Is there a different atmosphere on each show?
100 per cent. There’s a lot more riding on The Professionals, because it’s their profession. On Juniors, the kids are very free-spirited, they have this “I don’t care” mentality, even though they want to do well. And also, it’s in the summer, so it’s just got that summer relaxed vibe. Normal Bake Off is sort of a balance between the two. There’s a lighter tone to it, but because they’re adults, there’s a tension. They want to do well, they want to get far in the competition. 

Isn’t it about time we got you onto Celebrity Bake Off, so you can complete the set?
As a baker? Naaah! I can’t do that. That would be so strange. But maybe like a cameo or something, that would be really cool. 

How would you rate your savoury cooking skills?
I’d give myself a solid seven. 

What’s the last culinary disaster you had?
A couple of weeks ago I made a custard tart, and I left enough space in the tart to put a rhubarb compote on top. But I fell asleep, and obviously if you cook custard, you know what’s going to happen. So it was ever so slightly scrambled. 

So you had a scrambled egg and rhubarb tart?
Pretty much! And it was so annoying, because the rhubarb was delicious, and the pastry was bangin’! 

Are there any ingredients that you really don’t like?
I can’t stand olives. If they’re in a tomato sauce or something it’s fine. But just to take them out of a pot or jar and just eat them… I can’t do it. No, no, no! And I don’t like liver. Mushrooms are hit and miss as well.

What are your guilty sweet pleasures?
Anything salted-caramel-based. And it’s a bit rogue, but I’m a massive fan of a good quality white chocolate. People say it’s too sweet, but if you get one that’s 30 per cent cocoa solids, it takes away from that sweetness. If it’s flavoured with really good Madagascan vanilla, it is elite!

You’re a Manchester United fan. Did filming the series prove a welcome distraction from football?
Ohhhh my gosh! What a question! What a bloody question!!! It was a decent distraction, but quite a few of the team are into football as well, so between takes, I’ll get updates about what the scores are. I want to know, and at the same time, I don’t want to know! We are getting there, but this is a season to forget, for sure!

Why has the show endured? What’s the secret to its success?
I think it captures the imagination of our audience because it’s almost like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The bakers on normal Bake Off – I know the bridge is getting smaller between pros and normal Bake Off, but they can’t do what these pros do. The showpieces, and their ability to manipulate chocolate and sugar, and take it to new heights, I think that’s a spectacle in itself. As the years have gone by, the chefs have become more open and comfortable on camera. The combination of being able to pull off these amazing showpieces, but also having personalities as well, I think that’s why it works, because the audience can relate to the chefs, but also be in awe of what they can create on the show. And the combination of Cherish, Benoit, myself and Ellie is pretty solid as well. That’s the recipe, really. 

Watch or stream Bake Off: The Professionals on Channel 4.