Hosts James and Oliver Phelps join all 16 competitors in the kitchen, where the timed baking challenges unfold. Photo courtesy of Food Network.
The Minaret was able to interview hosts of Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, James and Oliver Phelps, as well as one of the show’s competitors, to discuss the second season.
By Alyssa Cortes
TAMPA, Fla. — Food Network’s Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking features eight teams of pastry chefs and cake artists competing to create edible showpieces inspired by the sets, scenes, and themes from the Harry Potter films, all while contestants work on the original sets from the saga.
James and Oliver Phelps, better known as Fred and George Weasley, return to host the series alongside culinary judges Carla Hall and Jozef Youssef.
The Minaret was invited to a virtual college roundtable with James and Oliver Phelps on Thurs., Oct. 30, 2025, to discuss the second season of their show. At the roundtable, Oliver Phelps reflects on returning to the Harry Potter universe after over 13 years.
“What made it really appealing to us is that we would be able to be part of something in our own guise as Oliver and James, with no hair dye, thank God,” said Oliver Phelps, referring to their distinctive ginger locks that were routinely dyed every three weeks while filming. “But this time we were able to just be ourselves and also see people up close, do the best at what they do.”
He notes that the Harry Potter series is known for its high standards, and this production was no different, recalling 14 live cameras filming on his first day.
Former co-stars of the Phelps twins, Afshan Azad, who played Padma Patil in the series, and Devon Murray, who played Seamus Finnigan, will guest star as judges this season. Alongside returning guest, Warwick Davis, who played Professor Flitwick, a Gringotts bank teller, and Griphook in the original saga. Davis will be reprising his role of Professor Flitwick in the upcoming HBO Harry Potter TV Series.
“I think it was nice to, on a personal level, include old friends of ours,” said James Phelps, on having guest stars on the show. “Really, the Potter cast were such a small group of people in relation to who can relate to that time in your lives (having) that many people looking at you for what you did as a job.”
James Phelps remembers chatting off camera with Murray, who hadn’t been on set in more than 15 years. Returning for the show, Murray said the experience made him feel 21 again.
“Those who are the best at what they do, they’re not holding any information back,” said James Phelps on what he took away from working on this show. “They’ll happily share it with others to make them be better as well.”
“I was taught this new way of how to crack an egg,” he said. “Apparently, I’ve been cracking eggs wrong all my life.”
“I think if you can get as close to anyone who’s a master in their field, it’s really inspiring,” said Oliver Phelps. “And that’s what we were very lucky to be able to do on this.”
One of these stellar contestants is chocolatier Katie Bonzer, who represented Florida in this competition.
Bonzer is an Executive Chocolatier at Practical Chocolate in Orlando, Florida, with two decades of experience. She is a lifelong fan of the franchise, growing up reading the books, watching the films “an obscene amount of times,” and eventually introducing the series to her children.
“It was wild to be on set,” said Bonzer. “I don’t know how to describe it other than I felt like a giant stepping into my own imagination and creative world, because before seeing the movies, I imagined these places through reading the books.”
“[It was an] out-of-body experience,” she said.
Bonzer talks about the pressure of living up to expectations as a Floridian, since Harry Potter is such a big part of Central Florida’s culture thanks to the Universal theme parks in Orlando.
“The volume of Potterheads here is astonishing, and I don’t want to let anyone down,” said Bonzer.
She was partnered with Jujhar Mann, the winner of Super Mega Cakes, Is It Cake? Holiday, and The Big Bake Holiday.
“He was the Dumbledore to my Harry, teaching me the ways of competing in this type of arena,” said Bonzer.
For Bonzer, this competition was more than just work; it was personal. She thought of her late stepmother, Sue, who worked in the food and beverage industry and was a fan of both the Food Network and Harry Potter.
“It breaks my heart that she passed before seeing me compete in this specific style because she would have been my biggest cheerleader, but while creating, I worked like she could see every moment of the experience,” said Bonzer.
Season two kicks off this holiday season, premiering Nov. 2, on the Food Network and HBO Max.