‘A hard time for everyone’: How Great Australian Bake Off carried on after Cal Wilson’s death
Natalie Tran sums up the eighth season of The Great Australian Bake Off with one word: “bittersweet”. Her co-host, comedian Cal Wilson, with whom Tran worked since the 2023 reboot of the British baking competition, became ill during filming and was unable to finish the season. Wilson died from cancer on October 11 last year, shortly after production had completed.
“Watching Cal is bittersweet,” says Tran. “Because she’s so good at what she does, and it’s lovely to see her doing her thing, but it’s sad knowing she’s only in a few episodes and that it’s the last episodes we’ll see her in.”
The Great Australian Bake Off’s hosts and judges (from left) Cal Wilson, Rachel Khoo, Darren Purchese and Natalie Tran.
In their opening sketch, former YouTuber Tran plays the straight woman to Wilson’s pyjama-ed sloth, scurrying about a kitchen strewn with dirty tea towels and used mixing bowls. In response to Tran’s urging that they clean up this apparent aftermath of a raucous baking party before the contestants arrive, Wilson, munching a gingerbread man and flicking through 101 Baking Tips, looks up from beneath her trademark pink and purple fringe, and says, in her proudly retained New Zealand accent, “You do know it’s OK to ask for help? They’re not entirely useless”. The camera pans to UK-born judges Darren Purchese and Rachel Khoo, the former brushing his teeth at the kitchen sink, the latter, feet up, reading How to Eat Cake.
The playful scene captures the essence of the show, which is more about celebrating achievements than it is about eliminations. Wilson’s role in bringing laughter and bonhomie to the set, built inside a shed on the grounds of the Yaralla Estate in the Sydney suburb of Concord West, is immeasurable.
“She was a shining light,” says Purchese. “She was full of joy. She had her own sparkle. She made everyone feel like they were the most important person there. Personally, she’d help me learn my lines, and she would give me tips on how to present in front of the camera.”
Cal Wilson and Natalie Tran on set during the 2023 season of The Great Australian Bake Off.
Continuing filming the series without Wilson was painful. “We didn’t realise how serious the situation was,” Purchese explains. “We were just cracking on with it and hoping that Cal would be back. We were sending our best wishes, and I was putting my crummy puns on WhatsApp for her. She was always telling me how crap my jokes were. Natalie really stepped up and obviously had some heavy lifting to do, and Rachel and I tried helping out as best we could, but it was a hard time for everyone. Cal was one in a million.”
Tran recalls Wilson’s off-camera jokes that would have her “on the floor”.
“I would always be excited to hear what would come out of her mouth. She was so quick. You don’t get to see everything in the show, but Cal really was a force.”
This season, 12 home cooks will again compete for the coveted cake stand trophy. Ranging in age from 16 to 70, with backgrounds including Filipino, Sri Lankan, Zimbabwean, and Gunai Kurnai/Yorta Yorta, the line-up promises exciting creations in the Signature Challenge category.
“They go all out,” says Purchese. “And there’s something we’ve never done before on the show. Look out for a spooky challenge and some outdoor cooking.”
In the long hours between takes, when much of the actual baking happens, Tran and Purchese liked to wander the gardens, admiring the birdlife and chatting to dog walkers. Tran formed a special bond with a friendly magpie. A far cry from the original, filmed under a marquee in an English country garden, the local crew had to contend with screaming cockatoos and rain hammering the tin roof.
“It’s a surreal experience,” says Tran. “It’s like someone has made a magical shed, and you get to live in it for six weeks … It will be nice for people to come back to the shed and see Cal. There are some really nice moments.”
The Great Australian Bake Off returns on Wednesday, September 18, at 8.30pm on Foxtel and Binge.
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