Why Celebrities Don't Make The Best Bakers, According To Prue Leith - Exclusive

Watching any of the "Bake Off" series or spin-offs is a fun escape from reality. We get to watch people come up with fantastic creations to the delight of all. In the regular seasons of "The Great American Baking Show," well versed home bakers compete against each other in the tent. For the holidays, celebrities are invited in, and while they may be a lot of fun, the bakes don't match up. In an exclusive interview, we spoke with one of the show's judges, Prue Leith, who revealed why celebrities are not the best bakers. 

"The celebrity bakers tend not to be any good at baking broadly," says Leith. "They're there for very good reasons," she explains. "They want to help raise money for a charity, or they're there because they're fans of 'Bake Off.'" Good intentions do not equate to a high skill level. While regular-season contestants are picked because of their knack for baking, the same metrics do not necessarily apply to celebrities.

Leith adds that the thing that really trips up celebrities is decorating: "If they follow the instructions, the chances are it's going to taste great. If they're not trained chefs, they might not quite know how to make it look amazing. It's more likely to be a bit of a mess on the plate." This advice applies to everyone, but as Leith points out, "That is particularly true with celebrities."

During "The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Holiday," the celebrities are given some recipes, such as during the technical challenge, while other recipes are brought from home. The show vets the recipes to ensure quality. Leith states, "It is no fun if somebody is humiliated because they've produced a recipe that's not going to work." No recipe can save celebrities from poor decoration, a skill that takes time to learn, and without the background, the stars can't pull it off. 

Leith was candid about the skill levels of celebrities for "The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Holiday," but also mentioned that while the baking may not be as good, they are endless fun, in part because of the lack of skills: "What is lovely about it on the celebrity ones, the holiday specials and things, is it's so much more relaxed, because nobody really thinks they're going to win." 

Leith explains that the vibe changes throughout filming. "At the beginning, they're mostly camping around and being full of joie de vivre and excited to be there," she said. "Halfway through, they begin to realize that they might win, and so then they get more competitive and start to get a bit more serious about it."

Still, Leith finds these specials enjoyable: "They're having fun, and I like that because it is much less serious and jollier really." That sounds like the perfect pairing for the holiday season. 

"The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Holiday" is available for streaming on the Roku channel.