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Food Network's Harry Potter: Wizards Of Baking saw Oliver and James Phelps, the twin brothers famous for playing George and Fred Weasley in the Harry Potter film series, host the inaugural season of the food reality show.
In a December 20, 2024 conversation with People, the 38-year-old brothers shared some of their highlights from the six-episode series, which premiered on November 21 and featured nine teams of bakers competing to create magical Harry Potter-inspired treats.
As hosts, James and Oliver were joined by chefs Carla Hall and Jozef Youssef, who served as judges, as well as several Harry Potter alumni who made guest appearances. The characters of the twins owned a sweet shop in the franchise which they channeled in the reality show as well.
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James and Oliver confessed to indulging in their fair share of sweet treats while filming. Oliver's love for sweets apparently led to a wardrobe adjustment, with him opting for baggy shirts.
He attributed his expanded wardrobe to the constant temptation of sweet treats on set, which he felt was well worth the indulgence.
"There's a reason I've just bought baggy shirts and I'm sitting down for every interview these days. Yeah, my sweet tooth was very, very sustained on this whole exercise, but it was well worth it," joked Oliver.
Harry Potter: Wizards Of Baking co-host and Oliver's brother James ran 5K before filiming
James, who served as the co-host of Harry Potter: Wizards Of Baking, attempted to outdo his brother, revealing that he had forced himself to complete a 5K run every morning during filming.
This allowed him to indulge in the various treats on set without feeling guilty. Although his diet may not have been the healthiest, James felt it was a worthwhile trade-off.
"Oliver hates me telling this story because I'm a bit smug, but I forced myself to do a 5K every morning. So then, when I went to work, I could eat whatever I wanted," revealed James.
The brothers' time hosting the show also inspired them to improve their own baking skills. James, who had previously considered himself a skilled baker, was humbled by the expertise of the contestants.
However, this exposure motivated him to experiment with new recipes and techniques in his own kitchen.
While hosting the show did involve indulging in numerous treats, the brothers took their roles seriously. They believed a good host should serve as a link between the audience, contestants, and judges.
Oliver expressed his hope that they would have the opportunity to work on similar projects in the future.
Harry Potter: Wizards Of Baking host Oliver triple-checked the name of the winners
Hosting the competition proved to be a mixed bag of ups and downs for the brothers. During the series finale, which was filmed on the iconic set of the Great Hall from the original Harry Potter movies, Oliver recalled a moment of heightened anxiety before announcing the winners.
He felt compelled to triple-check the names of the winning team, given the exceptional quality of the two finalists.
In the moments leading up to the announcement, Oliver and James triple-checked the results to ensure accuracy. Once the Harry Potter: Wizards Of Baking winners were confirmed, Oliver was struck by the significance of the achievement for the contestants.
The moment highlighted not only the winners' impressive talent but also their unwavering dedication and perseverance.
"Just before we went on set to announce the winner, we were again saying, 'So who has won?' Can we triple-check that we've got the right answer?" Oliver stated.
Zoe Burmester and Jordan Pilarski emerged victorious, impressing the judges with their exceptional baking skills and taking home the first-ever Wizards of Baking cup. As winners, they will also be featured in an upcoming Harry Potter-themed cookbook.
Despite the intense competition in Harry Potter: Wizards Of Baking, James observed that the bakers remained remarkably composed under pressure. He noted that none of the contestants ever became frazzled or flustered, attributing their calm demeanor to their professionalism.
As experienced bakers, they were accustomed to working in high-pressure environments.
Harry Potter: Wizards Of Baking is available to watch on Food Network GO, and to stream on Discovery+ and Max.
