Melanie Clare English comedian and television broadcaster Sophie Giedroyc first gained recognition as the host of “The Great British Bake Off.” She is also one half of the enduringly popular comedy combo “Mel and Sue.” Over the course of more than thirty years, she has collaborated with comic Sue Perkins. The pair, who met while attending Cambridge University’s College, founded “Mel and Sue,” a partnership that produced numerous highly regarded projects. They debuted with “The Naked Lunch” and went on to the Edinburgh Festival with “Planet Pussycat.” Following the partnership’s success, they started a number of popular television shows, including “Light Lunch” and “French & Saunders.” When they were invited to host the baking competition series “The Great British Bake Off,” they became famous. Before they made the decision to leave their position as hosts when the network changed, the popular show ran for more than six series. Later on, the pair would host the programs “Let’s Sing and Dance” and “The Generation Game.” In addition to being a member of this team, Mel writes two novels, hosts a podcast, reads audiobooks, and appears frequently in other panel events. Currently, she and her spouse reside in London.
Early Life & Childhood of Mel Giedroyc
Mel Giedroyc was born in Epsom, Surrey, on June 15, 1958, to Michael and Rosemary Giedroyc. Her father immigrated to Britain in 1947 as a Polish nobility and became an aircraft designer and historian. Growing up, the family lived in Leatherhead. Her three siblings include the celebrated director Coky Giedroyc.
After graduating from Oxford High School, she enrolled in Trinity College at Cambridge University to study Italian. She took part in numerous plays as an enthusiastic theatergoer.
She eventually collaborated with Sue Perkins, her future partner, in the troupe “Footlights,” after meeting her at a comedy show in college in 1988. While attending college, they began giving performances at several venues and festivals. Following their graduation, they started a protracted on-screen collaboration.
Career of Mel Giedroyc
After deciding that comedy was her calling, Mel Giedroyc chose to work as a barmaid until she was able to secure a permanent position. Mel and Sue were chosen to write the satirical radio sketch show “Week Ending” for BBC Radio 4. This aided them in breaking into the broadcasting and media industries.
They would frequently go on national stand-up tour. Finally, in 1995–1996 they embarked on a national tour of the UK.
The pair was enlisted to contribute to the hit sitcom “French & Saunders” in 1996. They also made a few fleeting cameos in the show.
Mel’s next appearance was as Sue’s co-host of the lunchtime comedy panel, “Light Lunch.” The popular program lasted for four series between 1997 and 1998. Mel and Sue also hosted “Late Lunch,” a spin-off of this show that aired for one season.
In April and May of 1999, the well-known pair went on another tour with “Mel & Sue: Back to Our Routes.”
They produced “Mel and Sue’s Comedy Breakdown,” a six-part comedy series for BBC Radio 2, in 2002. Later, “The Mel and Sue Thing” was produced for BBC Radio 4.
She co-hosted Channel 4’s breakfast television program “RI:SE” in 2003. As the show’s ratings started to drop, the pair was brought on to host it.
Her autobiography, “From Here to Maternity: One Mother of a Journey,” was released in 2004. She talked about how difficult it was to balance her work with her path to parenting.
In 2006, she made her television debut as Richard Hammond’s co-presenter on “Richard Hammond’s 5 O’ Clock Show.” Later, she costarred with Sue in a comedic Mamma Mia sketch for Comic Relief called “French & Saunders.”
2010 was the year of her largest and most well-liked project. She and Sue were invited to host the baking competition for BBC 2’s newest show, The Great British Bake Off. The judges, Paul Hollywood and May Berry, would not give a damn about amateur bakers competing with one another.The Great British Bake Off was an immediate hit and is sometimes credited with sparking a baking renaissance throughout the United Kingdom. After participating in the show, both winners and participants went on to have more prosperous professions.
Mel and Sue had a great connection together; they were both clever and enjoyed cracking jokes, which added intrigue to the show. Before BBC One took over for the fifth and sixth series, the show lasted for four seasons.
She only served as a presenter for numerous series between 2011 and 2016, such as “Sadie J,” “Have I Got News for You,” “Draw It!,” “Now You See it,” “Horrible Histories,” and “Relatively Clever.”
Mel and Sue’s next venture together was a daytime discussion program called “Mel and Sue,” which debuted in 2015. Several celebrities, including Liza Tarbuck, Jason Manford, Jo Brand, and Ben Miller, are featured in them. A season into its run, the show was later canceled.
Channel 4 will now air “The Great British Bake Off’s” seventh season, which was originally slated to premiere in September 2016. Mel and Sue resigned as hosts and said they wouldn’t transfer to the new station.
She started co-hosting “Let’s Sing and Dance for Comic Relief” in March 2017. The same year, it was revealed that Mel and Sue would be hosting the most recent season of “The Generation Game.” In addition, she hosted the Saturday night program “Let It Shine.”
In 2017, she participated in the fourth season of Taskmaster and hosted the BBC One series “Pitch Battle” and the game show “Letterbox.” In November 2017, she also co-presented “Children in Need.”
She made the announcement in 2018 that she would represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest. Her book “The Best Thing,” which she is currently working on, will be published in 2019.
She also recently made headlines when it was revealed that she was in the cast of the West End production of Stephen Sondheim’s “Company.” She had previously been on stage in the “Much Ado about Nothing” adaption.
She is still appearing as a guest on numerous shows and is actively involved in the media industry. Alongside Andy Bush, she co-hosts The Mel Giedroyc show on Magic Radio every Saturday.
Large-scale Works of Mel Giedroyc
Giedroyc’s most well-known accomplishment is her co-hosting position on “The Great British Bake Off.” Before the network moved, she and Sue Perkins would continue to host the gaining popularity baking show for six series. The charming presence of Mel and Sue made the play more likable.
Individual Life and Heritage of Mel Giedroyc
Mel Giedroyc is wed to Ben Morris, a LAMDA director and instructor. Vita Morris (2004) and Florence Morris (2002) are their two children. She has mentioned her husband frequently and acknowledged in public that she couldn’t have achieved without his help.
Random Facts of Mel Giedroyc
Her perfect day consists of drinking tea, relaxing in the garden, watching “Downtown Abbey” later in the evening, and listening to the radio.
“The Magic Foundation” by Thomas Mann is her favorite book. She acknowledged that her life was altered by reading this book.
Net worth of Mel Giedroyc
The estimated net worth of Mel Giedroyc is about $1 million.