Noel made a major lifestyle change following a health scare (Image: E4)Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxMore Newsletters SubscribePlease enter a valid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.More NewslettersWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More infoThank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow me See OurPrivacy Notice See OurPrivacy Notice×Group 28 Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxInvalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info×Group 28Thank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow MeNo thanks, closeSee our
Privacy Notice Noel Fielding, the co-host of The Great British Bake Off, is gracing the telly once again as the much-loved baking series embarks on its 15th season. Having joined the ranks of Bake Off presenters back in 2017, the fabulously dressed and quick-witted Noel made room for Alison Hammond alongside him last year to sprinkle that extra dash of charm. Best known for his fashion sense and for his sharp-witted comedy in the BBC’s The Mighty Boosh with co-star Julian Barratt, the 51 year old has an interesting history that includes a complicated upbringing and a health scare while he was at art college. Noel was primarily brought up by his French grandmother following his parents Yvonne and Raymond’s break up after his birth.
Noel in the Bake Off tent with Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith and Alison Hammond
(Image: Channel 4 / Mark Bourdillon / Love Productions)
Raymond would later tie the knot with Diane, who became Noel’s stepmother when he was just three, and took a more active role in his upbringing, especially after his mother battled illness, reports Birmingham Live. His mother also had two more children, but sadly, she passed away due to liver complications at the young age of 37, with Noel only 17 at the time. The Bake Off star has disclosed tales of a ‘bohemian’ existence, marked by a lack of stringent rules. Reflecting on his past he once candidly recounted: “I was like a feral child. I was like ‘I’m not eating dinner.’ ‘Yeah whatever, cook your own at midnight.’ ‘Mum it’s midnight should I go to bed?’ ‘Whatever you want to do.’ “It was quite bohemian… I think with my brother they were like… ‘we probably shouldn’t let him cook his own dinner of mashed potato on toast at four in the morning. He’s like six.’ Yeah my mum and dad were pretty liberal about stuff.” Noel revealed that his parents had “lots of parties” and were “hopelessly bohemian”. He recalled stepping over the bodies of sleeping strangers as he tried to make breakfast. He said: “They were just 18 when they had me… they let me stay up. They had their mates there all the time. They just let me eat when I wanted. I didn’t have to eat at the table.” He added: “I think they had a lot of parties when I was a kid… I remember my mum and dad having parties where you know someone would turn up and bring the taxi driver in and he would stay for two days…. on the sofa.” Sign up to OK!’s TV newsletter to get updates sent to your inbox for free
Noel with his partner Lliana
(Image: Getty Images Europe)
While Noel was studying at art college, he was diagnosed with alcohol-induced hepatitis. He said: “When I first left art college and I was a bit ill I actually got hepatitis and I was ill for a year, I was on the sofa for a year. I got quite depressed.” Alcoholic hepatitis is swelling of the liver caused by drinking alcohol, according to the Mayo Clinic. It most often happens in people who drink heavily over many years. According to the Mayo Clinic, should individuals continue alcohol consumption after a diagnosis, they face a serious risk of liver damage and even death. Yellowing of skin and eyes, belly tenderness, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue are among the warning signs. Noel, however, has mostly stayed away from alcohol, boasting a five-year dry streak. He shared his perspective, saying: “I just carried on not drinking for years. I used to be able to enjoy myself with just nothing. I’d stay up till four in the morning, with everyone else being drunk.” He also discovered how going teetotal led to other lifestyle changes: “Just make a bit of effort and you can get used to it. It’s good actually. But what’s quite good about drinking is that it gives you some mood swings. Breaks things up a bit. I have to replace that with exercise.” Noel has two children with his partner, radio DJ Lliana Bird. The couple, who live in London’s Highgate, named their first daughter Dali after Salvador Dali, while their second daughter was dubbed Iggy, inspired by rock legend Iggy Pop.Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnNoel FieldingAlison HammondThe Great British Bake Off
