THEY are known to millions of Harry Potter fans as the trouble making twins- Fred and George and Weasley in the blockbuster film franchise.
But now, while they may no longer have their flame-coloured hair, James and Oliver Phelps, 38, are cooking up a new kind of mischief, as the hosts of a new reality show: Harry Potter and the Wizards of Baking.
The reality series on the food network channel “Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking,” follows nine teams of pastry chefs, as they toil to make Harry Potter-inspired culinary creations, all on location where the movies were filmed.
Appearing on ITV’s This Morning to discuss their new gig, Oliver Phelps said he was astounded by the culinary talent of the contestants.
He said: “These guys are Michelin starred chefs, their molecular gastronomists, they really know stuff.”
From Gringotts vaults of macarons to floating puddings and edible Mandrakes, these are just a few of the creations viewers can feast their eyes on during the show.
While the Phelps twins host the show, chef’s Carla Hall and Jozef Youssef act as judges while other former “Harry Potter” stars like Bonnie Wright and Evanna Lynch make guest appearances and Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick and Kreacher).
The Birmingham-born twins, 38, who were in all eight “Harry Potter” films between 2001 and 2011, are both married and live in London.
They cited “The Great British Bake Off” and “Christmas Cookie Challenge” as shows they often watch.
The twins landed their roles in JK Rowling’s magical masterpiece aged just 13 and with no previous acting experience.
Both dark-haired, they were offered the roles on the condition that they spent the next decade with dyed red hair.
In a 2012 interview, James said: “I used to walk to school with a boy called Andrew who had bright red hair.
“I used to tease him constantly about it. Then we got cast as the Weasley twins and had to dye our hair red for the next ten years. All the years of joking at Andrew’s expense just came back and slapped me in the face.”
Having spent many of their formative years at the Warner Brothers Studios, it’s little wonder that they’re still regularly in touch with many of their castmates.
Oliver says he goes to watch the football with Alfie Enoch who played the character of Dean Thomas in the film series.
He said: “Going to see our local soccer team play, Alfie Enoch is a big fan as well, so we’ll go together,” said Oliver.
Meanwhile James said he enjoys the odd coffee with the show’s star Daniel Radcliffe who played the title role and also Tom Felton who starred Malfoy.
“Tom Felton and I play golf every so often, there’s quite an ongoing rivalry with that. And the last time we were in New York, I met up with Dan Radcliffe for a coffee. It’s like friends from high school or college.”
“You may not see each other all the time, but you’re gonna meet up if you can, if you’re in the same area.”
Although the acting work hasn’t been plentiful, the eight Harry Potter movies are estimated to have left the brothers with a net worth of around £1 million each.
The pair stay faithful to their wizarding roots, and often turn up for special appearances at the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles.
