Matt Lucas on how he landed Bake Off job after Noel Fielding dreamed he was on the show and his NHS charity single

AS the quirky sidekick to Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer on cult show Shooting Stars, Matt Lucas was a master of off-the-wall quips and zany characters before the success of Little Britain turned him into a household name.

Now, 15 years and a host of diverse film and theatre roles later, he is poised to start his most mainstream TV role yet, after unexpectedly being chosen as the new host of The Great British Bake Off.

The job of replacing Sandi Toksvig is one that even Matt admits he was stunned to land, after her co-host Noel Fielding bafflingly conceived the idea of hiring him in a dream — despite barely knowing him.

But with the nation in lockdown and filming temporarily postponed, Matt is putting his usually packed time to good use, by releasing a comedy single tomorrow in aid of a charity which provides meals for NHS staff.

In an exclusive interview, Matt reflects on the bizarre way he got the Bake Off job saying: “I’ve no idea why Noel was dreaming about me.

"He suddenly dreamed that I was stood there alongside him in the Bake Off tent and we were making each other laugh.

“So when he woke up he got in touch with the producers and said he wanted me on board.

“It’s very strange because it’s not as if we knew each other very well.

“I’ve met him a couple of times over the years and The Mighty Boosh (Noel’s comedy act) came along around the same time as Little Britain, so we saw each other around.

“Actually I think he may have been at my 30th birthday party, but we weren’t close friends, so to have a dream about me was probably a bit weird, but brilliant for me too.

“We had to keep it totally secret, so for my audition we staged a fake pilot for a show about gardening, at a garden centre, where I had to ask people about their gardens.

“The problem was they thought I was a gardening expert and began asking questions, and I don’t know anything about gardening.

“I don’t even have a garden, so they probably saw through me very quickly.

“Despite all that, it somehow went really well.

“I think the biggest thing was that Noel and I made each other laugh, so we clicked and that’s what worked.

“I hope it translates with viewers too.”

With filming currently on hold during lockdown Matt, 46, is having to wait to team up with Noel alongside judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith for the first time.

He says: “I can’t wait to get started, I’m really excited.

"I know there are awful things going on at the moment so I want to be careful about saying I’m disappointed — people are missing out on all sorts of valuable things to them — but I’m certainly excited about getting started.

“It’s an amazing opportunity, a great show and loads of cake, which will probably be a disaster for me, but it just sounds a wonderful, wholesome thing to be part of.

“While I’ve had a lot of time at home lately I’ve been watching old episodes, Sandi and Mel and Sue, and I loved all of them.

“I hope I can bring something slightly different and new, without doing anything too drastic to it.”

But Matt’s enforced break from work has had one positive result — the new charity single, Thank You Baked Potato, a rewritten comedy song from his Shooting Stars days in which a baked potato sings quirky public health information about best hygiene practices to counter the coronavirus threat.

Lyrics including “Wash your hands, stay indoors” set to a jaunty backing track have already made it an online sensation, with more than three million views within days.

After watching its growing success, Matt joined forces with married actor pals Damian Lewis and Helen McCrory, who alongside Leon restaurants boss John Vincent founded the FeedNHS campaign — an initiative which has encouraged restaurant chains to hand out free hot meals to healthcare staff.

To date their efforts have raised £600,000 and Matt hopes earnings from the song will push the total beyond £1million.

He says: “It all started early last week.

“I was at home isolating, because I have asthma, and I just started messing around with the lyrics to this old song, The Baked Potato Song, and put a clip up online.

“I was surprised people even remembered it really, and suddenly I was getting people sending their own clips back of themselves and their children performing the song.

“Around the same time I also became aware of the problem of NHS staff finishing long shifts, then arriving at the supermarket to find no food left on the shelves.

“I saw that video of a nurse crying, which a lot of people were very moved by, and just hoped perhaps we could do some good.

“I’m really just the light relief.

“I can’t claim to have done any of the hard work, but the brilliant work of other people like Damian, Helen and John has just been incredible.

“So from today the song will be available to buy online, to download, and I just hope people will join in — why not get behind it?

“I actually know a couple of people who have died from coronavirus, or have got it or had it, and it does bring it home to you that this is real, and it’s serious.

“So even though it’s hard being at home for long periods away from other people, it’s so important that we do to protect our NHS staff.

“This is just about doing our little bit to say thank you to them.”

Away from Matt’s new role in the Bake Off tent, rumours have continued to swirl about a return for Little Britain, alongside his comedy partner David Walliams.

The pair became estranged in 2011 when their relationship broke down and they stopped talking.

But last year they delighted fans by posing together for a photograph and then performing as a duo once more in a one-off radio sketch titled Little Brexit.

Matt says: “I do get asked about Little Britain a lot but what I can say is that David and I are the very best of friends and we speak or exchange messages every single day.

"Often it’ll be silly pictures or videos we’ve found online, that sort of thing, and we just make each other laugh all the time.

“We’re unquestionably going to do more together as soon as we can.

“I’ve got Bake Off and I’ve just done a pilot for a new thing in Chicago, and he’s got lots on including TV and his books, which are a huge success for him.

“But we’ve both decided we want to as soon as there’s a gap.

“I can’t say if it’ll be for TV or maybe a theatre tour, but we’re committed to doing something.

“We’ve already done the one-off radio show last year and we loved working together again, so as far as we’re concerned we’re already back up and running together as a double act. There’s more to come.”

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