Matt Lucas reveals why he's stepped down from Bake Off

Matt Lucas has revealed he will no longer be presenting The Great British Bake Off and has cited balancing other projects as the reason he's stepping down.

The comedian and actor presented the Channel 4 version of Bake Off with Noel Fielding since 2020, but took to Twitter on Tuesday, December 6 to reveal he would no longer be involved with the show.

In a statement, Matt wrote: "Farewell Bake Off! It’s been a delicious experience and I can’t imagine a more fun way of spending my summers. But it’s become clear to me that I can’t present both Fantasy Football League and Bake Off alongside all my other projects.

"So, after three series and 51 episodes, I am cheerfully passing the baguette on to someone else."

It added: "I would like to give my warmest thanks and gratitude to everyone at Love Productions and Channel 4 and to Noelipops, Paul, Dame Prue, the crew and, of course, the wonderful bakers for welcoming me into the tent.

"I wish whoever takes over all the very best and I can't wait to tune into the next series without already knowing who won!"

Currently, Channel 4 has not announced a replacement host for Bake Off but his co-stars were quick to wish him well following the news.

Noel Fielding wrote: "So sad that @realmattlucas is leaving the show ! Farewell buddy thank you for 3 amazing years. I will really miss your spark and huge smile in the tent and I will miss your kindness as a person and to all the bakers."

He went on to list all the things he'd miss about his co-host, calling him "a lovely man and a good friend", and both Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood shared messages too. Quoting Matt's tweet, Prue said: "I have absolutely loved working with you. Thank you for bringing so much laughter and fun to the tent."

While Paul added: "You will be missed, good luck with everything you’ve got planned … you’ve been awesome xx"

During his time on the show, Matt Lucas has seen three Great British Bake Off winners crowned, with its 13th season concluding last month. We currently don't have any news about season 14 but we will keep you updated!

The Great British Bake Off is available on demand via All4 in the UK and on Netflix in the US, under the name The Great British Baking Show.