Mel Giedroyc forced to pull out of Mother Goose with Sir Ian McKellen due to ‘personal reasons’-Alicia Adejobi-Entertainment – Metro

Mel Giedroyc was set to star in upcoming festive show Mother Goose (Picture: Getty Images)

Mel Giedroyc has announced she will no longer appear in pantomime Mother Goose. 

The former Great British Bake Off host was due to star alongside Sir Ian McKellen and comedian John Bishop in the West End production. 

However, she has dropped out of the festive play ‘due to personal reasons’. 

Confirming the news in a statement, Giedroyc said: ‘I have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the forthcoming production of Mother Goose.

‘I am thankful to the producers of the show for being so understanding and wish everyone involved in the production a fantastic tour throughout the UK and Ireland.

‘Now, more than ever we all need a bit of joy, and I can’t wait to see it myself. I know it is going to be fantastic.’ 

Giedroyc was cast alongside Sir Ian McKellen (r) and John Bishop (Picture: Getty Images)

The former Great British Bake Off star said the decision was due to ‘personal reasons’ (Picture: Getty Images)

Producers have confirmed Giedroyc’s role will be recast although they did not announce her replacement. 

‘Everyone in the show sends love and best wishes to Mel and her family,’ they said. 

Giedroyc, 54, was due to take on a starring role playing Goose in the show which tells the story of Mother Goose and her husband Vic, who run an animal sanctuary and live a wholesome life inside an abandoned Debenhams department store. However, the sudden arrival of a goose causes upheaval in their lives. 

Sir Ian and John are pantomime ready (Picture: Getty Images)

Sir Ian quipped that he was ‘intrigued’ that the play had ‘come out of this country’ (Picture: Getty Images)

Mother Goose, written by Coronation Street’s Jonathan Harvey and directed by Cal McCrystal, is set to open at the Theatre Royal Brighton from December 3 to 11 before a West End run at the Duke of York’s Theatre between December 15 and January 29.

The cast also includes Oscar Conlon-Morrey as Jack, Simbi Akande as Jill, Sharon Ballard as Evil Fairy Malignia and Karen Mavundukure as Good Fairy Encanta.

Sir Ian recently explained why he was excited about the upcoming production and said: ‘It uses every device that theatre can offer, there’s singing, there’s dancing, there’s rhyme, there are jokes. 

‘But what intrigues me is that it has come out of this country.’ 

John Bishop, who plays Vic, also told Attitude: ‘There’s something about coming into this experience from my angle which is part of the reason why you want to do it.

‘In the short time we’ve spent together I’ve seen his commitment to making everything as good as it can be. The energy to drive things is bottomless. It’s what [is] going to make this a special event.’

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