It was a visit worthy of a Paul Hollywood handshake.
Earlier this year, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds sent Great British Bake Off fans into a frenzy after they shared snaps with judges Prue Leith and Paul from the set of the beloved competition series back in June. Now, Prue is giving insight into the Gossip Girl alum and Deadpool actor's visit to the famed white tent. As it turns out, it was the luck of filming at nearby locations that brought them together.
"Blake is absolutely nuts about—well they both are, they're both very keen on Bake Off," the restauranteur told E! News' Francesca Amiker. "They heard we were filming in the same studio lot as Ryan was, he was making Deadpool, and so they both just turned up."
But as it turns out, Ryan and Blake were the exception to a rule—usually not just anyone can waltz their way onto the set.
"Everybody keeps everybody out of the tent, you know," Prue explained. "No strangers are allowed in the tent, absolutely, rule number one. I mean if my husband walked in without having cleared it all first he'd be just shown the door. But I'll tell you what, when those two walked in, every cameraman, everybody, just stood there. And of course we were absolutely thrilled to see them. All filming stopped while we all chatted to them."
And per the 83-year-old, it would seem that the perfect recipe for striking up a friendship with the stars requires only one ingredient—time.
She continued, "Because we were there at the same time as they were, you know weeks on end, we got really friendly. So they came in a lot."
So friendly in fact, that Prue's counterpart was even asked to be in a commercial for Blake's new liquor line, Betty Booze, alongside the A Simple Favor actress—much to Prue's chagrin.
"I was rather disappointed because I thought, you know, I'd do anything to do a commercial with Ryan," she quipped. "And [Paul] managed to do a commercial with Blake."
For now, Prue will have to find comfort in her on-set memories with the Free Guy actor—memories Paul was sure to immortalize on social media at the time, while simultaneously poking fun at his co-judge.
"Sorry Prue, Blake has taken your seat…" the celebrity chef captioned a photo with the Age of Adaline actress at the judging table in June. "Welcome to cake corner Blake."
For his part, Ryan also shared an image alongside the judging duo, captioning his photo, "A full and unconditional hug of pure serotonin."
And to see where some of your favorite Bake Off winners are these days, keep reading.
Some fans might not be familiar with the show's first-ever champion Edd Kimber, as season one of The Great British Baking Show never aired in the U.S. or appeared on Netflix. But the baker has been up to a lot since his time on the show in 2010, having written for several publications, appeared on numerous TV shows and published six cookbooks.
Like with season one, season two of the series also never aired in the U.S. or on Netflix. In addition to publishing a cookbook, the show's second champion Jo Wheatley continues to share her latest recipes with fans on her successful food blog, Jo's Blue AGA.
Trading in his apron for his dancing shoes, season three winner John Whaite went on to compete on season 19 of Strictly Come Dancing (the U.K.'s equivalent to Dancing With the Stars), and came in second place. But that's not all he's done. The Star Baker has opened up his very own cookery school and published several cookbooks.
Frances Quinn's gorgeous-looking bakes earned her the title of season four champion in 2013. Since her time on the show, the 40-year-old has come out with a cookbook and started her own baking blog. She even baked the world's largest Jaffa Cake earlier this year.
Grandmother of nine Nancy Birtwhistle is just as passionate about baking now as she was during the show's fifth season in 2014. Along with being active on social media, she has followed in her fellow competitors' footsteps and created her own blog and written several books, both about baking and how to live an eco-friendly lifestyle.
Season six winner Nadiya Hussain went from competing on a TV show to having several of her own. She has starred in multiple cooking and baking shows as a host and judge, including GBBS's U.K. spinoff Junior Bake Off. Not to mention, she baked Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday cake in 2016.
Not only is Candice Brown a baker, cookbook author and season seven winner of GBBS, but she also earned the title of restaurant owner with the opening of her pub, The Green Man, in 2019.
After winning the competition's eighth season in 2017, Sophie Faldo turned her passion for baking into a job by launching her very own baking business, Sophie Faldo Couture Cakes.
Rahul Mandal used his skills as an engineer to secure his victory on the show's ninth season. He continues to balance his passion for science with his love of baking and shares his latest creations with fans on Instagram. His first cookbook, Showstopping Cakes, will be released this October.
Like many GBBS winners, season 10 champ David Atherton has released multiple cookbooks, including children's cookbooks aimed at helping kids learn basic cooking and baking skills. When's he's not posting his latest creations on Instagram, he's sharing sweet pics of him and his partner, Nik Sariyski.
At the age of 20, season 11 champion Peter Sawkins became the show's youngest-winning contestant in 2020. Two years later and he already has one cookbook under his belt with a second on the way. Peter continues to share his love for baking on Instagram, and continues to keep in touch with several of his fellow GBBS contestants.
Giuseppe Dell'Anno is the show's most recent winner, impressing the judges with his Italian bakes on season 12 in 2021. Only a year out from his win, he's already written a cookbook—set to be released this December—and made a few television appearances. And like Peter, he enjoys meeting other former contestants from the show.