Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking Crowns a Winner! How Hosts James and Oliver Phelps Managed Sampling So Many Sweets (Exclusive)

Warning: spoilers from Harry Potter: Baking Wizards the final is ahead of us.

James and Oliver Phelps, known for playing Fred and George Weasley in the film Harry Potter movie franchise, reflect on their experiences as Food Network hosts Harry Potter: Baking Wizards.

In a recent chat with PEOPLE, the twin brothers, 38, shared some of their favorite moments from the set of the six-episode series, which premiered last month and followed nine teams of bakers as they competed to create a mesmerizing Harry Potter– inspired bakers. The on-screen wizard brothers were joined by real-life chefs Carla Hall and Jozef Youssef, who served as judges, along with the parade Harry Potter former students who got involved. Hosting the pageant, the brothers shared, brought plenty of pressure and satisfaction. In the series finale, filmed on the set of the Great Hall from the original Harry Potter movie franchise, Oliver recalled the moment before the competition’s winners were announced, where he felt the need to triple-check the names — because of how good both teams that made it to the finals were.

James and Oliver Phelps with Bonnie Wright.

Warner Bros.

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“Right before we went on set to announce the winner, we said again, ‘So who won?’ Can we triple check that we have the right answer, because you don’t want to call the wrong one,” he told PEOPLE. “But when they made the final decision and we announced the winners, you just realized how much it means to them to make it this far. It just shows their talent, but also their sheer will and determination for what they do.”

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Zoe Burmester and Jordan Pilarski won the series with a magnificent treat that outshone the competition. Winning the show means that the two have earned a first in history Baking wizards cup and will be shown in the upcoming Harry Potter– thematic cookbook. Despite the high-profile environment for bakers, James recalled that there were never any tense moments like he expected from a baker.

“Nobody was ever panicked or nervous or anything like that,” he said. “Which I think is where the professionalism comes into play. Like, they’re used to hyper-high stakes.”

Hosts James and Oliver Phelps with judges Jozef Youssef and Carla Hall in Diagon Alley, as seen in Harry Potter: The Baking Wizard Season 1. Warner Bros.

James Phelps and Oliver Phelps with Warwick Davis.

Warner Bros.

Although there were more serious moments on set, the couple also relied on their personalities Harry Potter characters, Fred and George, who own a wizarding joke and candy store in the original films, saying they consumed their fair share of candy on set. “There’s a reason I just bought baggy shirts and sit down for every interview these days,” joked Oliver. “Yes, my sweet tooth was very, very persistent with this whole exercise, but it was worth it.” James, on the other hand, tried to outdo his brother like the twins, adding: “Oliver hates me telling this story because I’m a bit smug, but I forced myself to eat 5K every morning so when I went to work I could eat whatever I wanted I ever did, but it was definitely worth it.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up to date with the best PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to interesting human interest stories. And the bakers’ mad skills on the show also rubbed off on the brothers when they were hosts. James joked. “But when we got the screenings for the episodes, I was very eager to get into the kitchen and try different things.

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Hosting the brothers went beyond just overindulging in treats, despite what Oliver’s new wardrobe might say. “We’ve always taken it with the idea that you know a good host is someone who’s the link between the audience and the contestants and the judges,” Oliver said. “I hope we can do some more things like [Wizards of Baking] in future.”Harry Potter: Baking Wizards is available on Food Network GO and streaming on Discovery+ and Max.

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Source: HIS Education

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