In a world where the news seems endlessly grim, the time couldn’t be better for a new season of The Great Australian Bake Off. And this year is set to be a real “doozy”, judge Darren Purchese says.
“We’ve got a bunch of really diverse, enthusiastic and talented bakers,” the Melbourne-based chef, 49, tells TV WEEK of the much-loved show’s eighth season. “There are the usual themed weeks, but also some stuff we’ve never done before – some spooky stuff, some spicy stuff. It’s going to be a whole lot of fun.”
In the industry for nearly three decades, Darren is a renowned pastry chef, best-selling cookbook author, a business owner and has appeared in several reality cooking shows such as MasterChef Australia and Dessert Masters.
But it’s Bake Off he calls “one of the best jobs I’ve ever had”.
“I’ve loved it forever,” he says. “And I particularly love the Aussie version, because, number one – it’s not in a tent [the UK version is filmed in a marquee], we’re in a shed – I think that’s pretty Aussie.
“And the grounds we shoot on, anyone can walk up. We often have dog walkers popping in – normally [in other shows], the cameras would move away, but we just let it happen. So you’ve got dogs coming in and birds flying around while the bakers are trying to do their showstopper [challenge]. It’s all quite organic. It has real heart and soul.”
Darren admits a big part of the show’s heart will be missing this year, with Cal Wilson getting to complete only half of filming of the season. The New Zealand stand-up comedian, author and radio and TV host died of cancer in October last year aged 53.
“We [the core cast that includes fellow judge Rachel Khoo and host Natalie Tran] weren’t aware of the extent of Cal’s illness, and were holding out hope she’d return, and get better, because we could see she was in pain,” Darren says.
“We think about her every day; we love and miss her dearly. We hit it off from day one, and Cal really was the glue. She looked after us all, so it was tough not having that force in there.
“She was loveliest person. We shared a car to and from the set and became very close. She’d give me tips about learning lines and tell me all about the world of entertainment, while I’d up her knowledge of food.”
Darren says it’ll be difficult to watch the season when it airs.
“It’s bittersweet anytime I see Cal [on TV],” he says. “I’m not looking forward to seeing her last episode – I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it. But, towards the end of the season, we’re going to make sure we pay tribute to her unique sparkle and contribution to the show.”
The Great Australian Bake Off airs Wednesday, September 18, 8.30pm (AEST) on LifeStyle.
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