Lesego Thlabi secured her dream gig of presenting The Great South African Bake Off. While in conversation with BONA, the comedian shared her experience on set, her love for baking, and more.
Based on the British format, The Great South African Bake Off is a 10-part series consisting of 12 amateur bakers who are judged by chefs Siba Mtongana and Paul Hartmann, with the show presented by Glen Biderman-Pam and Lesego.
“I’ve been a big Bake Off fan since the first British version, and I watched all the South African seasons as well. When I saw the tent, I think that was probably the best experience for me. When I got there on the first day, it was very much like being in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. It was very wow!”
She added, “Just from a fan perspective: Being on a show that you’ve watched for several years and wanted to be a part of for a very long time I think was probably a highlight.”
Lesego described her colleagues as well as the cast and crew as being warm and friendly. “I’ve worked on sets before where the morale wasn’t that [high], and it made making the show a lot tougher. It really wasn’t like that here.”
Speaking about her co-presenter Glen, Lesego admits that she has been a fan of the comedian for years. “I like his comedy. I think we have a similar style of things that we are interested in in terms of comedy.”
Lesego also spoke about receiving and providing feedback. “Glen is not shy to give his opinion and neither am I, but it seems like we both had really big respect for each other, so it was also really collaborative.”
Evident in their styles of comedy, Lesego states that they are both good at improvising. “[It is] quite rare in the industry to find people who know how to think on their feet, act on their feet, and make comedy on the feet. So, it was really great having a sparring partner that I felt was helping me grow… So yeah, it was great working with him.”
When asked about her experience in baking, Lesego states that she would call herself an “amateur baker, much less than the bakers on the show.” However, she shares that she spent most of her time in the kitchen during lockdown. Says, Lesego, “During lockdown, I made bread and doughnuts. I made incredibly difficult things on the scale of baking… I would rate myself a 7/10 with a recipe. Without a recipe, probably much lower.”
The satirical comedian also told BONA about a dream she had when she was younger. “If things went a different way in my life, I would be a pastry chef or a baker.”
She continued, “It just so happened that it was coincidental that I do love baking and I got the gig but I think for us it was more what we can bring [in terms of] hosting.”
Lesego also dived into what she is looking forward to this season. “What I’m most looking forward to this season is also what I’m least looking forward to, which is eating a lot of cake. I have done my progress, I’ve been gyming my ass off, and then we come here and there is just cake, cake, cake, cake up until my eyeballs.”
“It was very tough to be on a diet on a set like that,” laughed Lesego.
Regarding what viewers can expect to see on the show, Lesego states fun, the judges’ expertise and amazing cakes and designs.
“I’ve never been this close to professional baking or this level of baking happening. So, I think it’s pretty creative and cool. That’s what [viewers] can look forward to.”
Watch The Great South African Bake Off on BBC Lifestyle, Wednesdays on DStv Channel 174 at 20:00.
