Harry Potter: Wizards of BakingCrowns a Winner! How Hosts James and Oliver Phelps Managed Sampling So Many Sweets (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

James and Oliver Phelps with Judges Jozef Youssef and Carla Hall on ‘Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking’.Photo:Warner Bros.

Warner Bros.

Warning: spoilers from theHarry Potter: Wizards of Bakingfinale ahead.

James and Oliver Phelps, known for portraying Fred and George Weasley in theHarry Pottermovie franchise, are reflecting on their experiences as the hosts of Food Network’sHarry Potter: Wizards of Baking.

James and Oliver Phelps with Bonnie Wright.Warner Bros.

“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? Because you don’t want to call the wrong one,” he told PEOPLE. “But when they did make the final decision and we announced the winners, you kind of just realize how much it means for them to get that far. It just goes to show their talent, but also their sheer will and determination for what they do.”

Zoe Burmester and Jordan Pilarskiwon the series with a magnificent treat that just edged out the competition. Winning the show means that the two earned the first-everWizards of Bakingcup and will be featured in an upcomingHarry Potter-themed cookbook.Despite the high-stakes environment for the bakers, James recalled that there were never any tense moments like he might have expected from the bakers.

“No one ever got, like, panicky and flappy or anything like that,” he said. “Which I think that’s where the professionalism comes in. Like, they’re used to hyper-high stakes kind of thing.”

James Phelps and Oliver Phelps with Warwick Davis.Warner Bros.

While there were more serious moments on set, the pair also leaned into the personas of theirHarry Pottercharacters, Fred and George, who own a wizarding joke and sweet shop in the original films, sharing that they consumed their fair share of sweets on the set.“There’s a reason I’ve just bought baggy shirts and I’m sitting down for every interview these days,” Oliver joked. “Yeah, my sweet tooth was very, very sustained on this whole exercise, but it was well worth it.“James, on the other hand, made a twin-like attempt to one-up his brother, adding, “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. It was probably not the best nutritional diet I’ve ever done, but it definitely paid off.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.And, the insane skills of the bakers on the show rubbed off on the brothers during their time hosting as well.“I considered myself a baker before the show, and then I went on and saw actual bakers do what they do, and I realized they’re playing a completely different sport to me,” James joked. “But when we would get the screeners for the episodes, I was very keen to get into the kitchen and try my hand at different things.

Hosting for the brothers did go beyond just excessive treat consumption, despite what Oliver’s new wardrobe might say.“We’ve always taken it with the notion that you know a good host is someone who, they’re the link between the audience and the contestants and judges,” Oliver said. “Hopefully, we can do some more stuff like [Wizards of Baking] in the future.“Harry Potter: Wizards of Bakingis available on Food Network GO, and to stream on Discovery+ and Max.

source: people.com