‘Big Mood’ Besties Nicola Coughlan and Lydia West Compare Notes on ‘The Great British Baking Show’: “I Absolutely Hated Bake Off”

When the enchanting new British comedy Big Mood premieres on Tubi tomorrow, American audiences will swiftly fall in love with millennial besties Maggie (Nicola Coughlan) and Eddie (Lydia West). Maggie is an effervescent young playwright always wondering if a handsome man is her soulmate while Eddie is a straight-shooting, sharp-witted bar manager more worried about the future of her deceased father’s establishment than her own dreams. The two share a bond that is more like sisters than simply friends; one that is only challenged, in fact, by Maggie’s struggles with mental illness. The title Big Mood isn’t just a nod to millennial slang, but Maggie’s tidal waves of mania and depression that come courtesy of her bipolar disorder.

In real life, Big Mood stars Nicola Coughlan and Lydia West seem as thick as thieves — or Maggie and Eddie, themselves. When Decider chatted with them about Big Mood earlier this month, they were full of giggles, shared anecdotes, and gossip about the cast’s group chat.

“Luke Fetherston plays Ryan [on Big Mood], he goes out to raves and he sends us videos of himself at like 3 AM,” Coughlan divulged.

“I just want to live his life!” West said.

“Couldn’t be me going to raves,” Coughlan demurred, “but I love what he does!”

One shared experience the two Big Mood stars hadn’t yet broached with each other, however, was their time spent as guests in the iconic Bake Off tent. Great British Baking Show devotees will remember that both Nicola Coughlan and Lydia West have competed in special episodes of The Great British Baking Show: Holidays on Netflix. Couglan was there as part of the Derry Girls cast, while West competed in a Christmas episode with her It’s a Sin co-stars.

After a long conversation about all things Big Mood, Decider plucked up the courage to ask Coughlan and West if they’d ever compared notes on the experience of facing down Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith.

“I don’t know if we’ve ever talked about it,” Coughlan said.

“I don’t know we’ve ever talked about it,” West said, “but I absolutely hated Bake Off!”

“I found it so insanely hard,” Coughlan said. “I took it way too serious.”

“Same,” West said. “I had like a proper like panic, anxiety attack because I just wanted to be such a good baker. “

“So did I!” Coughlan said.

Neither West nor Coughlan won their editions of The Great British Baking Show: Holidays. During her episode, West hoped that the Technical Challenge would be banana bread because that was the only thing she knew how to bake, while Coughlan had issues with her 1930s Caberet-inspired showstopper.

“I can’t bake,” West said, “and I don’t know why I didn’t just accept that and go in having a laugh.”

“I did not have a laugh,” Coughlan said. “I barely spoke to anyone. I was like laser focused on what I was doing.” 

 “I needed to win,” West said.

“Those ovens are really complicated,” Coughlan said.

“Those ovens are complicated!” West agreed. “The KitchenAid mixer, I don’t know how to use. I don’t know how to beat a meringue. I don’t want to learn.”

“And then Paul Hollywood is just there and you’re like, ‘Agh!'” Coughlan mimed jumping back in fear.

“And he was quite mean,” West said.

“He was mean to you?”

“Not in real life,” West admitted. “He was actually quite sweet.”

“He said my cake tasted musty and I was gutted,” Coughlan said, before explaining what added to her frustration was the fact that she knows she’s a good cook, but not necessarily a great baker.

“You are a really good cook and you can bake,” West said. “I’d be upset if I were you because you’re actually so good.”

(Coughlan admitted to West that she can bake cookies.)

“Yeah, I messed up,” Coughlan said. “So stressful.”

West summed up the whole exchange by staring at the camera with a smile, saying, “Yeah, I hated Bake Off,” and singing off with a laugh and a peace sign.

All six episodes of Big Mood will premiere on Tubi tomorrow.