In a world where the news seems relentlessly bleak, the time couldn’t be better for a new season of The Great Australian Bake Off – and this series is set to be a real “doozy”, promises judge Darren Purchese.
“We’ve got a bunch of really diverse, enthusiastic and talented bakers,” the Melbourne-based chef, 49, says of the 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 food industry for nearly three decades, Darren is a renowned pastry chef, best-selling cookbook author and a business owner, as well as appearing 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”.
Darren explains, “I’ve loved it forever and I particularly love the Aussie version because it’s not in a tent [the UK version is filmed in a marquee] and we’re in a shed – 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 season. His Kiwi co-star Cal Wilson only completed half of filming before she died. A rare and aggressive form of cancer claimed her life in October 2023, aged 53.
Darren says he, fellow judge Rachel Khoo and co-host Natalie Tran “weren’t aware of the extent of Cal’s illness”, adding, “We were holding out hope she’d return and get better because we could see she was in pain.
“All of us think about her every day. We love and miss her dearly. We hit it off from day one and Cal really was the glue that held us together. She looked after us all, so it was tough not having that force in there.
“She was the 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.”
It’ll be difficult for Darren to watch this season.
“It’s bittersweet any time I see Cal on TV,” he admits. “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 pay tribute to her unique sparkle and contribution to the show.”
The Great Australian Bake Off screens 7.30pm Thursday on TVNZ 1 and streams on TVNZ+.
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