NEED TO KNOW
- Hosts Tom Walker and Natalie Tran say this season is more ambitious than ever
- A new challenge, the ‘Floating Biscuit Boat,’ pushes bakers into equal parts baking and engineering
- Tom and Natalie take on their own high-stakes job this season, ferrying soufflés to the judges under pressure
- The hosts open up on what it’s really like watching live with zero ability to intervene when things go wrong
- Tom’s known for one thing on set – and it’s not baking
The Great Australian Bake Off has returned for season nine – and we’ve been told the heat has been turned all the way up.
Sitting down with New Idea, show hosts Tom Walker and Natalie Tran reveal that this season is full of “ambition”.
“I thought last year’s ‘Biscuit City’ was a really big challenge, we were all fretting about it – but this season, it’s like ‘Biscuit City’ every week!” Natalie says.
They tell us that this season’s big challenge is a ‘Floating Biscuit Boat’.
“The contestants had to make a boat that floated for a certain amount of time, so it’s both a baking challenge and an engineering challenge. It turns out that a lot of people approach making boats in different ways,” Tom says, adding that “some people just go the smart way, if not the simple way, and make a raft, and others will actually attempt to make a scale sailboat with a hull and keel… it’s crazy!”
“It was so tough to watch – but that means it’s must-see TV,” Natalie adds.
And the pair of them have a high-risk challenge this time around as well, having to quickly deliver soufflés to the judges at lightning speed.
“The bakers would get the soufflés out of the oven, and then Natalie or I would carry a heavy granite tray with a pot of soufflé on it up to the judges,” Tom says, adding “it was terrifying that they gave us that responsibility.”
“Tom and I have incredible soufflé walking skills we’ve learned,” Natalie says.
“For those 30 steps, time stood still – it was so scary!” Tom adds.
“Everything was riding on it, that was probably the hardest thing we’ve ever done,” Natalie adds with a laugh.
This is the second season the comedic hosts have worked as a duo.
“We say that we’re the most invested viewers the show has because we’re the only people who are watching live. We have no way of affecting the outcome, we have no way of intervening and saying, ‘no, please don’t temper that chocolate… please temper your plans instead,” Tom says with a laugh.
Natalie reveals she’s glad that Tom has survived so far, as Tom has a habit on set for enjoying the baked goods!
“I’m a bit concerned about the speed from which something goes into his mouth to when I see it going down his throat,” Natalie jokes.
“I’ll destroy any, like, leftover cake that is unguarded for even a second… no choking yet, but I think of the people in the shed I’m the likeliest to get the Heimlich manoeuvre,” Tom adds.
We put the hosts the test
Natalie and Tom joined us in our Test Kitchen at the New Idea headquarters.
We gave them one challenge – to create each other as cupcakes, in the ‘cupcake face off challenge’.
To see how they did, check out the video below.
The Great Australian Bake Off Season 9 premiered Tuesday 11 August at 8.30pm AEST on FOXTEL and BINGE, with new episodes weekly. Episode 1 is currently available to stream on BINGE.
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