James and Oliver Phelps have a wealth of wonderful memories from their time portraying the mischievous Weasley twins on the set of Harry Potter, but there was one magical location that wasn’t what it seemed when it came to the bizarre odor.
“It was funny because when we were filming any Great Hall day, when it was just filled with people, there’d be so many smells,” Oliver told People while promoting the second season of their Food Network show, Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking. “Even now, if I watch any of those scenes, I can still smell roasting or oiled vegetables — which isn’t a great smell.”
“To look good for all the feasts and everything like that, they wanted all these turkeys and everything like that. But yeah, the elements I just think of are smelly socks, pretty much.”
Despite not particularly enjoying the mixing and mingling aromas of rich food sitting for hours on set, Oliver and James still have amazing recollections about their time in the Great Hall — even when they weren’t filming in it. The brothers shared that on the days that they didn’t have scenes in the expansive chamber — where a plethora of iconic moments occurred, from the Sorting Ceremony to the Yule Ball — it was the perfect venue for a game of soccer.
“But you remember those moments — the feeling, the people, the smell of the room. It’s all still there … It’s funny, all these years later, the Great Hall still feels magical,” added Oliver. “It just smells a lot better now.”
‘Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking’ Mixes Cooking With Magic
Oliver and James returned to the wizarding world to host Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking for its second season, which premiered on Nov. 2. The fast-paced cooking competition once again follows eight teams of cake artists and pastry chefs who concoct incredible — and deliciously edible — works of art based on classic scenes and themes from the hit film franchise, according to the official synopsis.
“James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley) bring exceptional charm and behind-the-scenes anecdotes as hosts of this magical series, joined by culinary judges, Carla Hall and Jozef Youssef and more iconic Harry Potter stars.”
Throughout their time as co-hosts, the brothers managed to learn a few basic tricks of the trade of baking — for Oliver, it was how to properly crack an egg to avoid getting shells in the mixture. As for James, he told People that being on the show also often reminded him that cooking was “meant to be enjoyable.”
“If you’re having fun doing it, part of it is the learning experience,” he continued. “If they can enjoy it, and they’re doing it in high-pressure situations like that, then I think anyone can enjoy it and be in the moment.”
Fans can watch Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking on Sunday nights on the Food Network, or catch it streaming the next day on HBO Max or discovery+.
