When it was announced that Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins were leaving The Great British Bake Off, loyal fans were dismayed.

What would the show be without its star presenters? But while Mel and Sue became two of the best-loved elements of the show, they were not the first names considered as potential hosts.

A list of "talent suggestions" for the very first Bake Off series, disclosed for the first time, features more than a dozen names - and some of them are unlikely choices.

Top Gear's Richard Hammond, then also hosting the family show Total Wipeout, was under consideration.