‘Great British Bake Off’ Brings in James McAvoy for a Stare Off With Paul Hollywood

This year’s Great British Bake Off was different. It felt flat; tired; stressful; at times wildly Orientalist. The comforting coze of a show that the world somehow expected to insulate itself from a global pandemic was instead duly encumbered in its malaise. But GBBO has a solution: Employ James McAvoy for a blue steel stare off with Paul Hollywood, that the actor will indisputably win.

The new series of Great Celebrity Bake Off has tapped the likes of McAvoy, fellow Hollywood star Daisy Ridley, rapper Dizzee Rascal, Little Mix’s Jade Thirlwall, Olympian Kelly Holmes, and David Baddiel, who will have plenty of shared experiences to discuss with newest host Matt Lucas. Airing on Channel 4 in the spring, it’s a charity effort for Stand Up to Cancer.

Particularly memorable appearances in recent years have come James Acaster, whose “bon appétit” to the judges graces many a YouTube compilation, and YouTuber Joe Sugg’s fainting after cutting himself before returning to impress Paul Hollywood. But per Vulture, bringing in such a genuinely starry cast feels like a real push from the producers to rehabilitate the vibes of the show, before it returns in its normal format later in the year.