My mind is made up — Casey Wilson and Zach Cherry are the perfect hosts for The Great American Baking Show 

The Great American Baking Show is arguably one of the most comforting cooking competitive shows. Unlike the high-intensity, fast-paced culinary shows, where the contestants are always in a rush, The Great American Baking Show is patient and pleasing to watch. It follows the journey of amateur bakers who participate not just to compete but to learn, practice, and leave the show with improved skills.

With no prize money waiting on the other side of the finish line, the bakers dedicate themselves to working on their cooking techniques and learning from the feedback from the judges, Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood. Unlike other culinary shows where the contestants compete inside kitchens, bakers in this show cook under a tent in the woods.

Given the calm ambiance of the show, it is only fair to have hosts that complement the format. Thus, I feel Casey Wilson and Zach Cherry, both comedians, are the perfect fits for the role of The Great American Baking Show's hosts. Their ability to joke around not just with the contestants but also with the judges adds to the theme of the show.

Throughout the series, Zach and Casey have opened every episode with a skit or a segment, where they banter and joke, and entertain the bakers with light-hearted conversations whenever possible.

From intervening in serious discussions between Prue and Paul and cracking a joke or two to interacting with the bakers on a human level, Zach and Cherry have always kept the environment fun and positive.

Moreover, their conversations with the bakers feel natural, resembling any other normal conversation between two people. This enhances the show's goal of shifting the focus away from competition and promoting a learning journey. Thus, I firmly believe that Zach and Casey are the best fits for the role because they ensure to make the show lighthearted for contestants and viewers.

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Zach and Casey's opening segments are hilariously in tune with the concept of The Great American Baking Show

In the opening segment of episode 2 of The Great American Baking Show, Casey and Zach shared "secrets of the tent," looking into the cameras with much conviction. They sarcastically revealed that Prue's glasses did not have lenses, and that Paul's eyes were brown but turned blue after he consumed heavy doses of blue food coloring and damaged his irises.

"Trust us on the science," Zach whispered.

Casey further mentioned that there was a bunker under the tent that "raised" bakers, prompting Zach to stop her from "revealing too much."

Episode 3 of The Great American Baking Show, the Bread Week, deemed the "most stressful week of the season," started with Zach giving a massage to a huge blob of dough, trying to get it to "relax." It not only makes viewers laugh but also immediately removes the tension of Bread Week, literally and metaphorically, corresponding to the purpose of the show.

These 30-40 second skits are unique to The Great American Baking Show, and I firmly believe that Zach and Casey executed the roles well. I said they were well-suited for the position because of their background in comedy and acting, which helps them pull off these skits while maintaining a balanced comic timing, nothing over-the-top.

In the opening segment of the semifinal of The Great American Baking Show, Casey and Zach got into a light-hearted argument about the correct pronunciation of the word semifinal. While Casey said "se-mi" finals, Zach preferred "se-me" finals. Although unrelated to the show, joking about such a crucial stage in the competition helped reduce the intensity, making the experience more pleasant.

Similarly, in the opening segment of the final, the hosts of The Great American Baking Show did a hilarious skit using an AI-written script, illustrating that they did not need AI to write their jokes. Later in the finale, Casey approached the contestants and asked them to send a message to their future selves. While sending a message to her future self, she said:

"Casey, you know you stole this dress from wardrobe. Remember where you put it. It was in the back flap of your suitcase. Don't let them know that you took it."

Elsewhere, Zach asked one of the contestants her favorite dance move and danced with her. I strongly believe Zach and Casey are good fits for the position of hosts because of how natural they are with the bakers.

Their interactions are human and playful, ensuring the contestants are never stressed. Thus, according to me, The Great American Baking Show needed comedians like Zach and Casey to host the show.

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The Great American Baking Show season 3 episodes can be streamed on Roku.