Zach Cherry and Ellie Kemper, actors and hosts of 'The Great American Baking Show,' join Trending to talk all about the series. 

Between Bells

Zach Cherry and Ellie Kemper Talk 'The Great American Baking Show'

Ella Zack, thank you so much for joining us. You guys are hosting the series, the great american baking show, It's the highly anticipated us adaptation of the great british bake off? It has so many fans, Ellie, I have to ask, were you a fan of the show before hosting this season? I like, most people on the planet, loved the Great Love Current Present, use the great british bake off. It's a show that I think is universally beloved because it is light as air, it's got drama, the stakes feel high, but it's also about cake, so it's like, it checks off all the boxes and Prue and paul are so iconic that it was just like, I think Bozak and are pinching ourselves that we could be in that tent in person. It was like quite a coup Yeah Zack, I want to ask you about that because you mentioned, you know, Prue and paul coming back as the master judges of the show for this season as well, what was it like to work with them? And did they have any pointers for you coming on as a host? Uh they, it was great, they were very welcoming. Um you know, they made it very easy on us because they are so you know, they're such pros and they know everything about baking and also baking television, so I felt like they were amazing sort of mentors for me at least and kind of helped usher me along as I tried to figure out everything that was happening in the tent. Yeah, Ellie, you also mentioned that you filmed in the iconic 10 in the UK What was that process like and what can fans expect because you kind of noted this, but the competition series is soothing, but it's also competitive. Does it have that same vibe for the American version? I think so, yes. And so there's there are sort of two iterations of our show, there's the celebrity holiday special streaming now and then this sort of civilian series will come out in 2023. And I definitely felt like there in both versions, there's a friendliness among the bakers and like a camaraderie at the same time, they want to win. Like they're not there to just, you know, have a vacation, a holiday. I should say they're there to actually win. So I do think we retain some of that competitive spirit at the same time, noting that, you know, nobody's going to like ruined if they don't if they don't win the show, but it's still, I I do think that competitive spirit is alive. Yeah. And Zach, as Ellie mentioned the celebrity special premieres tonight, We know it includes Snl's Chloe Feinman Super Bowl champ, Marshawn lynch, so many other names competing as amateur bakers. How exactly did they do? Especially with the tricky technical bakes. I was thoroughly impressed. Um I'm I'm a bit of an amateur baker myself. I have um this is the last slice of pie from from the holiday celebrations recently that I personally made. you can see it's not perfect. Um but I was really impressed with with all of them and so were you know, so we're the judges. So um they all did a great job Zach. I love how you're a host, but you're also gunning to be an amateur baker here. What kind of pie is that? That is sweet potato pie? Yeah, I'm hoping to do double duty at some point. Host and bake. I love it. And Ellie, do you also have any baking skills and this one's for you both. Obviously for Zach, it's that sweet potato pie I'm thinking. But Ellie, if you had to bake something that would give paul Hollywood a chance to give you the call Hollywood handshake that for viewers who don't watch, it's like the thing every baker wants, it's the stamp of approval. Ellie, what would you bake for paul Hollywood to get that. Unfortunately, the bake that I am the most proficient at, it's called a gooey butter cake. It's sort of a ST louis delicacy if I can use that word and not be too dramatic about it, but it's it's a ST louis delicacy. Its primary ingredients are butter and cream cheese and the only I'm very good at making it because it's not very hard to make what I worry about with paul is he might be grossed out by it because it's just butter and cream cheese and I don't know if he would feel like it's sort of classy enough, but I shouldn't put words in his mouth. I put I should put his hand in my hand and we should shake and what to earn that handshake. Maybe I should just make my gooey butter cake for him one day. It sounds so good and I wish both of you were in studio because I want to try both of these bakes. But Zach, I have to ask you about this because we know fans are eagerly awaiting the second season of Severance on Apple tv plus you guys left us on a cliffhanger. So I can never forgive you for that. What can you tease for fans for this coming season? Well, I actually, I asked them to send all that information to Ellie, so she has most of the Severance stuff because I, I knew this was gonna come up. So, you know, she kind of has all that information. I'm really kind of in the dark on the next season because I was gonna say, Ellie, I have a severance related question. I don't know if you've actually watched it, a separate employee. For those who don't know, it's like someone who checks their memory when they get to work and then they get it back when they're off of work? So, would you rather be a severed employee or work under Michael scott. Oh, what a great question. Um I, you know, I the idea of the, I mean this is like a testament to how great the show is, Zach, because I wouldn't want to have my memory taken from me. I felt that it's so vivid and I I would rather work for Michael scott, but it's not because of that show. It's just because given the choice, that's what I would choose. You know, I don't know, I would also for Michael scott.