Ellie Taylor Channels Claudia Winkleman in Hilarious Bake Off Crossover
Ellie Taylor made a bold move by channeling Claudia Winkleman during a special skit on Bake Off: The Professionals, where the stars of the show showcased their The Traitors-style looks. The comedian joined fellow presenter Liam Charles, along with judges Benoit Blin and Cherish Finden, in a fun-filled segment titled The Bakers.
The skit kicked off with Ellie, dressed as Claudia, delivering an introduction in the style of The Traitors. She said: ‘Twelve pairs of pastry chefs, one stately home, two judges, a couple of hosts and over seventeen thousand miles of flaky pastry. This is The Bakers.’
After a humorous moment where Ellie struggled to see with her fringe, the skit transitioned into a scene parodying The Traitors’ iconic roundtable discussions. Ellie then instructed Liam, Cherish, and Benoit to vote out who they believed to be the ‘Secret Baker.’
Liam and Cherish voted off Benoit – incorrectly spelling his name in another nod to The Traitors – due to him wearing chef’s clothing and having flour on his face. However, the twist revealed that former Bake Off contestant Liam was actually the culprit, as he offered torte to the group.
‘The time for torte is over!’ Ellie quipped, bringing the skit to a humorous conclusion. Fans were quick to react online, with one commenting: ‘The crossover I never knew I needed.’ Another wrote: ‘Omg my two favorite worlds collide.’ A third fan chimed in: ‘This is easily the best intro that has ever been done on Bakeoff – cinema!!’ While a fourth joked: ‘[Ellie] was taking notes on Claudia the whole time during her Strictly season!’
Claudia Winkleman’s Surprising Journey with The Traitors
The crossover came as Claudia herself recently admitted she never expected The Traitors to become the huge success it is today. The BBC series has become one of the broadcaster’s biggest recent hits, regularly pulling in millions of viewers. Speaking about her initial doubts about the show, Claudia revealed she was hesitant to sign up when the BBC first approached her.
‘Traitors was not supposed to be what it was,’ she told The Mirror. ‘When the BBC asked me to go to Scotland for three weeks I was like: ‘Oh, thanks for asking…’ I said: ‘No. I don’t want to do that’.’
Claudia explained how they sent her the Dutch version and told her to ‘take a risk.’ She continued: ‘And I watched it and after three episodes I said I would get on the train and I am in.’ But she was not alone in doubting the format’s potential success. The Traitors was reportedly rejected by TV bosses in the Netherlands for seven years before eventually becoming a global phenomenon.
The Rise of The Traitors and Its Growing Popularity
The award-winning show, which first launched in 2022, is now filming a second season of the celebrity spin-off. The BBC have reportedly been forced to double its £1 million Celebrity Traitors budget for its second and most star-studded series yet. Money has also been spent on beefing up security to keep the stars safe and the castle’s goings on under wraps ahead of transmission later this year.
A source said: ‘Although most of the stars are British, so many of them are used to working in America that their teams are used to the treatment.’ They told The Sun: ‘The production team have little choice, however, than to cater for their demands because they accept the number of A-listers taking part in this year’s show makes it exceptional.’
