Sue Perkins has opened up about a behind-the-scenes clash on The Great British Bake Off, revealing that she and co-host Mel Giedroyc were prepared to walk away over the alleged treatment of contestants.
The 57-year-old comedian fronted the much-loved baking competition alongside Mel from 2010 to 2016.
Appearing on Elizabeth Day’s How To Fail podcast this week, Sue recalled the pressure to create drama on the show.
“It was always like, ‘Get the narrative’, but get the most dramatic narrative and make people cry and that’s what they tried to do,” she said.
Sue Perkins reveals Bake Off walkout over contestant treatment
Sue explained that things reached breaking point when she and Mel decided enough was enough. Their decision to take a stand even led to an unexpected conversation with the BBC’s most senior boss.
“And then we just said, ‘We’ve had enough of this.’ And we walked out and for some reason I found myself on the phone to the director general of the BBC and I have no idea why,” she recalled.
“We were raising complaints about behaviours and all the rest of it. It just seemed very important in that moment that people were entering our office, our workspace, and you treat them with respect.
“You don’t put a camera in their face and ask about their dead dad. How disgusting.”
And Sue admitted neither she nor Mel was under any illusion about what speaking out could mean for their careers.
“We’re just grumpy women who went, ‘We’ll get sacked,'” she said. “I’ve lost so much work from going, ‘You can’t treat people like this’ and I’m the one that gets handed my P45.”
It’s not the first time the presenting duo have discussed their concerns about Bake Off’s early days. Mel, 58, and Sue previously revealed they came close to quitting on day one of filming back in 2010, before urging producers to make the programme a gentler, more supportive experience.
In a 2020 interview with the Radio Times, Sue made her feelings about manufacturing emotional television moments equally clear.
She said: “Who wants to see people crying? I don’t. Especially if you work in television and you know the mechanisms that have been used to make them cry.”
Why did Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc quit Bake Off?
The popular pair eventually said goodbye to the tent in September 2016, following the announcement that Bake Off would be leaving the BBC for Channel 4.
Fellow original star Mary Berry also chose not to continue, although Paul Hollywood remained with the programme for its move to the new broadcaster.
But Sue later revealed another surprising detail about their departure. She and Mel had apparently discovered the news of the channel switch by watching television.
Speaking to the Radio Times, she explained why that left them questioning their place on the show.
“There’s no antagonism there. I just think, ‘If you’re going to let us find out that way [from TV], then we’re not really a team, are we?'” she said.
Who hosts The Great British Bake Off in 2026?
Fast-forward to the current series and Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding are the faces welcoming contestants into the famous tent.
There’s been a shake-up at the judging table, too.
Nigella Lawson has joined Paul Hollywood for 2026, replacing Dame Prue Leith following her decision to step down.
Meanwhile, Sue’s latest comments offer another glimpse into the tensions behind Bake Off’s famously comforting image, and just how strongly she and Mel felt about protecting the people taking part.
The BBC has been approached for comment on her claims.
The Great British Bake Off semi-final is on Channel 4 at 8pm on Tuesday, November 17.
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