"I want to be a Marvel superhero" says Bake Off's Liam Charles
Baking, presenting and now acting - The Great British Bake Off favourite tells Radio Times what he wants to do next
Baking, presenting and now saving the world? Bake Off: the Professionals host Liam Charles says he's got his sights set on acting after conquering the kitchen.
"I want to become a Marvel superhero," the drama student tells Radio Times. "That’s like the goal - definitely up there for what I want to achieve, 100 per cent."
A man of many talents, Liam won over a legion of fans when he was a contestant on The Great British Bake Off last year, and has impressed as host on Channel 4's Professionals Bake Off-spin-off alongside comedian Tom Allen.
Liam is still studying drama, and says it would be "cool" to do some acting in the future. "I used to go to Young Actors Theatre in Islington and I did small roles," he says. "I was in Silent Witness once when I was in primary school, and I did a campaign for Dove. I did this TV pilot – I think it was called Vodka Diaries. But I would love to act."
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Looking to the future, Liam says he wants to "definitely" do "presenting, acting and more baking. Just more of the same," he adds. "But on a bigger scale."
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Two years ago, Liam was just baking in his kitchen. Now he's about to release a brand new book and has turned presenter. Yet despite having a whirlwind year Liam says that surprisingly, not that much has changed at all in his life.
"This whole year has been crazy but I feel like my life hasn’t changed," he explains. "I still feel the same. I did cool stuff before but I do cooler stuff now. I’m still a student, I still live at my mum’s house, I still have the same room."
At first, turning presenter for week one of the Professionals was "a bit odd", he says: "You’re on the other side of the counter, and from being a contestant and then going to presenting is 'wosh'. But as soon as the second week came I was like, 'This is sound, this is cool.'
"It’s harder than it looks," he adds. "It’s a different skill in terms of listening and giving someone that confidence boost; you need to learn how to pick up the room if the vibe’s down or something bad’s happening. So in that sense I’ve learnt a lot, but because I’m being myself 95 per cent of the time and it's unscripted, I felt comfortable."
"Obviously I’ve been in that position so I know exactly how they feel," he explains of the contestants. "You want to empathise with them – but you could be the person dishing out the bad news. So doing the Professionals, I realise how bad Noel and Sandi probably feel when they have to say who has to go home each week."
As long as he can be himself, he says, he would love to present other shows in the future (he remains coy about whether discussions are ongoing about another series of the Professionals). Well, that's if Hollywood doesn't snap him up first...
The final of Bake Off: the Professionals is on Sunday 8th July at 8pm on Channel 4
