Cal Wilson's replacement on Great Australian Bake Off revealed after beloved comedian's tragic death
Foxtel has announced Cal Wilson's replacement on The Great Australian Bake Off, almost two years after she passed away aged 53.
Comedian Tom Baker will co-anchor the dessert competition alongside the show's regular host Natalie Tran.
Baker took to his social media to share the news with his fans.
He also included a series of colourful pictures from the set of the show, including one in which the funnyman can be seen rocking a black and white woolly sweater with a quirky swirl print.
'Hello I am the co-host on the Great Australian Bake-Off!' the Whose Line Is It Anyway? he said in the Instagram post.
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'They let me keep the cardigans and I am still not sure how to pronounce or spell mille-feuille!
'This was genuinely so much fun, I struggle to talk about and not sound completely nuts. The cast and crew were so welcoming, warm and funny and I am very, very, very happy.'
Best known as a stand-up comedian, Baker has won prizes at both the Sydney Comedy Festival and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
He's also appeared on Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont-Spelling Bee.
Baker and Tran will be joined this season by judges Rachel Khoo and Darren Purchese.
Wilson tragically died after filming episodes for season seven of the popular cooking competition in 2023.
She passed away on October 11, 2023 from a rare and aggressive cancer, just four weeks after taking herself to hospital with worrying lower back pain.
The Melbourne-based stand up comedian is survived by her husband Chris Woods and son Digby.
Fans were informed of her death in a statement shared to Instagram, confirming that the beloved comedian had passed away in a Sydney hospital.
'We are devastated to share the news that Cal Wilson, the much-loved stand up comedian, writer and actor died today, surrounded by family and friends in hospital after a short illness,' it read.
'Cal was loved by her family, friends, fans and peers and a huge hole has been torn in the heart of our community.'
One of Australia's top comedians, Wilson had a long and successful career in stand-up and on TV.
She had worked as a radio and television presenter, actress and author.
She starred on TV shows Spicks and Specks, Would I Lie To You and Good News Week.
She featured as host in episodes of The Great Australian Bake Off 2024.
'Cal's generosity, talent and friendships have been constant in the Australian comedy scene for the last twenty years,' her management company Token Artists said in a statement after her death.
'Cal was loved by her family, friends, fans and peers and a huge hole has been torn in the heart of our community.
Wilson filmed her Bake Off episodes before her illness made it impossible for her to continue to work.
'Season Seven holds a special place in all our hearts. Cal's passing was a devastating shock to the Bake Off family,' Foxtel senior staffer Wendy Moore said last year ahead of the show going to air.
Moore added Foxtel had the 'full support' of Wilson's family to ensure her terrific final series of Bake Off was aired.
Wilson only filmed four episodes before her passing and comedian Tran took over hosting duties for the rest of the series.
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My mum abandoned me and gave me to a cult – we were fed LSD, beaten, bleached & waterboarded to keep us under control
BEN Shenton was just 18 months old when his mother gave him up to a well-spoken blonde woman who swore she'd give him the best life possible. Little did she know her decision would put Ben through years of abuse at the hands of a woman who believed she was Jesus Christ reborn. 9 9 9 Images of Ben show a happy young boy, but the reality was entirely different - as the youngster was forced to become part of a notorious cult known as 'The Family'. Anne Hamilton-Byrne, who Ben would grow up to know as his mother, became the leader of the cult based in Australia, which drugged and beat him. He had no idea of his life before Anne, as she went to great lengths to keep his adoption a secret, even bleaching his hair platinum blond like hers and his new 'siblings'. Despite abusing more than 20 children, including Ben, Anne and her husband and cult co-leader, Bill Hamilton-Byrne, never faced justice. 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