TALKING POINTS | Bake Off, Glenn Close, Last One Laughing & Strictly
- Elliot Gonzalez
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
Here's what's got me talking this week...
It's that time of the week again when I take a look back at the last 7 days to see what has got me talking the most.
From this year's Bake Off line-up to a new Strictly celeb and more, here are my 4 telly talking points of the week...
1
BAKE OFF
announcing its 2025 bakers
The iconic white tent has been erected and the bunting has been dusted off, which can only mean one thing… The Great British Bake Off is back for its 16th series on Channel 4 from Tuesday 25th September at 8pm.
Usually we have to wait until a week before to find out who the bakers will be, but not this year, as Tuesday's surprise announcement gave us an early reveal. And it's a line-up that includes more LGBTQ+ representation than ever before including the show's first drag king and when it comes to the rest of the line-up, it'll be battle of the hairdressers with two entering the tent this year.
Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond will lead this fresh batch of bakers through thirty brand new baking challenges, set by judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith when the series returns.
2
GLENN CLOSE
leading new Channel 4 drama Maud
In a week of many television annonucements, it's the announcement of a Channel 4 drama led by true A-lister Glenn Close that has got me the most excited.
She'll play the lead in Maud, a new six-part drama written by Nina Raine and Moses Raine and based on Helen Tursten's short story collections, An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good and An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed.
Maud Oldcastle is described as a hilariously brusque, cantankerous, and ruthless older woman… and those are her nice qualities. But she's also a killer with a tortured past.
Determined to break from a lifetime spent caring for her sister, Maud sets out to claim a long-overdue second act… but a suspicious detective and an unrelenting world built for youth may soon discover just how far she’ll go to protect her freedom.
On taking on the role, Glenn Close said "I am honoured to be working with Channel 4, Sony and Playground to bring this highly original series to life. Nina and Moses Raine are deliciously brilliant writers and Maud Oldcastle is not like any character I have played before. I am thrilled to be a part of such a stellar team."
3
BOB MORTIMER
returning to Last One Laughing
Prime Video's Last One Laughing UK, in which a group of comedians must spend the day together without so much as cracking a smile, is easily one of the most enjoyable telly shows of this year, so news of a series two was incredily welcome.
Matching the brilliance and high standard of series one's casting, was never going to be easy, but thankfully as the line-up was announced this week, we have nothing to worry about. Not least of all because series one winner Bob Mortimer is returning to defend his crown.
And he's got some tough competition than's to another stellar line-up that includes David Mitchell, Diane Morgan, Romesh Ranganathan, Amy Gledhill, Maisie Adam, Mel Giedroyc, Alan Carr, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Sam Campbell.
Host Jimmy Carr, alongside his deputy, Roisin Conaty, will be back to challenge 10 of Britain’s funniest comics to spend the day together without so much as cracking a smile. Over the course of the series, they will use every ounce of their comedic talents to try and break their opponents without cracking up.
And it’s not just their rivals they need to watch out for. The show is packed with comedy cameos, format twists and surprises designed to elicit laughs from both players and viewers alike. The rules are simple: laugh and you’re out.
Who will be crowned the winner of Last One Laughing series 2? Could it be the brilliant Bob Mortimer again? We'll find out in early 2026.
4
LEWIS COPE
replacing Kristian Nairn on Strictly
As if the ongoing investigation into alleged drug taking at Strictly Come Dancing and calls for Thomas Skinner to be dropped from this year's line-up due to his political views, wasn't enough drama ahead of the new series, there was more bad news on Thursday, as less than a week since he was announced, Game of Thrones star and DJ Kristian Nairn, has had to withdraw for medical reasons.
However, the show wasted no time in replacing him and made the announcement during that evening's The One Show, that he was being replaced by former Emmerdale favourite Lewis Cope who played Nicky Milligan.
With a musical theatre background, having made his stage debut playing Michael in the West End smash Billy Elliot: The Musical at the age of 11, Lewis is already a serious contender when it comes to taking home that glitter ball trophy at the end of the series.
It's also worth drawing parallels between Lewis and Kelvin Fletcher who like Lewis, starred in Emmerdale and was brought in to the competition as a last-minute replacement. Paired with Oti Mabuse, Kelvin went on to win the series in 2019.
Could Lewis' Strictly journey end the same way? Looking at his competition, it's looking increasingly likely!
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