Great British Bake Off: Former host Sue Perkins was shot, took psychedelics, and more

As surprising as it may sound, the first few episodes were a complete flop. Originally on the BBC, the series is said to have begun as a strange little show. The public completely ignored four of the seven series. Sue Perkins, one of the show's early hosts, describes how it began as non-competitive. According to Perkins, the show began in a tent with a few bakers who had no experience with filming. According to a published interview by Vulture, the former host said,

People forget Bake Off was made by the BBC documentary department. It essentially started life as a weird small show that we did for seven series. Of four of those series, nobody watched it. It just was really about people sitting by ovens and chatting

Unfortunately, Perkins and Mel Giedroycresigned unexpectedly after Channel 4 took over the show. The pair confessed, according to The Mirror, that they were,

shocked and saddened to discover the news and explained they made no secret of their desire for the show to remain where it was.

Adventures of Perkins

The dangers of one’s profession can only truly be revealed when they chronicle every microscopic detail. After that dramatic exit from the GBBO, has begun the real adventures of a lifetime. Perkins is hosting a travel special, a job that was once reserved for a select few. Perkins, on the other hand, clearly contributes significantly to the genre.

She has put her life in danger numerous times to ensure that she tells an incredible story from over the length and breadth of the world. Perkins is said to have traveled to Mexico and attended the world's largest pyrotechnics festival in Tultepec. She had to avoid petrifying bolts of fire.

She also describes a trip she took to Bogata to visit the warehouse of a leading bulletproof clothing manufacturer. Sue did not run away from the sharp bullets aimed at her while wearing a protective vest. The factory owner shot her at close range. Perkins was acting like a cat with nine lives at this point. Most people would flee in fear if they saw a danger like this, but Sue was not one of them.

Perkins' Perfectly Legal, a new Netflixseries

Perkins has made a splash on television with the debut of her Perfectly Legal series. The must-see series, which debuted on Netflix in October, is a work of art. According to Vulture, while each episode takes place off the beaten track, what makes the series more interesting is when Perkins gets high on San Pedro, a psychedelic cactus native to Colombia, live on-camera. She apparently announces at the start of the series that she fears getting stuck. AsVulture writes,

Nothing could rid you of that malaise like ten hours of hallucinations, during which you confront every anxiety and sorrow you’ve tucked away.

Like the users of psychedelics in Michael Pollan’s Netflix documentary How to Change Your Mind, Perkins reports being able to let go of her father’s death and her inability to bear children.

And this vulnerability is exactly what sets the series apart.

Sources used :

Vulture: Sue Perkins Got Shot, Got Down, and Got High

The Mirror: Mel and Sue's lives after Bake Off - bitter Paul Hollywood fall out and 'break-up'