I introduced myself as a freshman from the University of Miami at the start of our college roundtable to two faces many of us grew up with: James and Oliver Phelps, Fred and George Weasley from the “Harry Potter” films.
This time though, they aren’t causing chaos at Hogwarts. They’re hosting “Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking,” which returns to Food Network on Sunday, Nov. 2.
The show brings professional bakers together to create intricate showpieces inspired by the Wizarding World. But what actually makes a bake magical: the presentation, the creativity or the feeling behind it?
“It needs to obviously taste good,” James said. “You’ve normally got to have some kind of magical element in it, whether that’s something moving or something revealed..”
He explained that the best showpieces are the ones that surprise you in the final moments.
“Halfway through you’re thinking, Are they going to pull this off? And then suddenly, it all comes together.”
Oliver Phelps added that the show isn’t built around drama or sabotage. “There’s no infighting. There’s no hoping someone fails,” Oliver said. “It’s a nice watch, something you can sit down with your family or your friends and just enjoy.”
The competition is driven by admiration, not conflict. Everyone wants everyone else to succeed, and the winner is simply the one who reaches the highest level.
Later in the roundtable, I asked whether filming the series brought back memories from working on the original movies. James described walking through the studio and suddenly feeling like he was 18 again.
“I had a flashback, and it was literally like I was where I was years ago,” James said. “It made me really appreciate that experience then and the experience now and how it’s all come full circle.”
In that way, the show reconnects the Wizarding World while also recreating it. Through taste, craft and memory, the magic becomes tangible again.
“Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking” premieres Sunday, Nov. 2 at 8p.m. ET/PT on Food Network.