Great British Bake Off producers reportedly 'worried' about new hosts

Noel Fielding has been named as a host of the Great British Bake Off. Photo / Supplied

Fans of the Great British Bake Off were up in arms on Thursday following the announcement of Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig as the new hosts.

However it has now been claimed that the Mighty Boosh star, 43, and the comedienne were not the top choices for the role - and were only picked following the rejections of a number of other stars.

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So Noel Fielding is going to be presenting the new series of The Great British Bake-off?! I may actually start to watch it now 😂 #noelfielding #greatbritishbakeoff #cakeandcomedy

A post shared by Kristina 💀🦇 (@ophelia_foxglove) on Mar 16, 2017 at 3:32pm PDT

According to The Sun, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and comedic duo French and Saunders turned down the presenting gig prior to Noel and Sandi's appointment - which has left show bosses concerned about the new line-up's success.

A source told the paper that the channel's "most loyal presenters" did not believe the series could work away from the BBC - leading them to cast Noel and Sandi instead, alongside Prue Leith.

A source close to the show revealed: "Noel and Sandi are an odd combination and they certainly weren't top of the list - or even tenth on the list."

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SO we are desperate to know.... what do you think about the new Great British Bake Off line up? . . . . #bakeoff #gbbo #greatbritishbakeoff #sandytoksvig #noelfielding #cake #c4 #tv #television #baking

A post shared by The Sun - TV Mag (@tvmagazine) on Mar 17, 2017 at 2:39am PDT

The insider then went on to claim that Love Productions, the creators of the original premise, are now concerned about what will happen to the show's popularity and cult following.

The producers are reportedly fearful that Noel, who is best known for his wacky sense of humour, will not translate with elderly viewers or school kids.

The Bake Off source continued: "A lot of people at Love Productions are worried about what Channel 4 is going to do with their show.

Sandi Toksvig for Bake Off makes total sense. Noel Fielding is a horrendous choice. He's Marmite. You don't put Marmite in cakes.

— Olly Richards (@olly_richards) March 16, 2017

"Noel is going to turn off a lot of the family viewing that made Bake Off such a favourite."

MailOnline has contacted representatives of both Noel and the Bake Off for comment.

After months of speculation, Noel and Sandi Toksvig were confirmed as the new hosts of the beloved baking show on Thursday.

The trio will join expert new judge Prue, as well as show stalwart Paul Hollywood, when the series returns to screens later this year on Channel 4.