Drew Barrymore to Host Pillsbury Bake-Off Classic on CBS
Drew Barrymore will host the 2026 Pillsbury Bake-Off Classic.
The live special airs on CBS and Paramount+ on 23 November at 8 p.m. ET/PT, in primetime, the evening slot when viewing peaks. Deadline exclusively reported the hosting news on 15 October.
It is a return to broadcast television for the contest. The 2026 edition is the first time the Bake-Off has been televised on a broadcast network since 2014.
The contest has a long history. It began in 1949 as the Grand National Recipe and Baking Contest. CBS carried the special from 1949 to 2002.
The host list is familiar. Past hosts have included Bob Barker, Alex Trebek, Phylicia Rashad, Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey. Barrymore joins that line-up for the revival.
Celebrity chefs Christina Tosi and Dook Chase will judge the 2026 contest. Finalists will meet in a “Best in Bake” finale. The task: craft edible wreaths.
The prize is sweet. The winner receives a $25,000 cash prize and a KitchenAid equipment package.
For fans, this means a live baking showdown just before the holiday season, with home cooks competing in real time.
Behind the cameras, the special is organised by Studio Large Eyes, Pantheon Media Group and Juma Entertainment in association with General Mills. Executive producers include Scott Weintrob for Studio Large Eyes, Jennifer O’Connell, Ariel Brozell, Eden Sutley and Martha Chaput for Pantheon, and Robert Horowitz for Juma Entertainment. Brielle Cohen is showrunner, the person who oversees day-to-day production, while Lisa Balzo, Kenzie Caron and Eleanor Harkness serve as executive producers for General Mills.
