Noel Fielding shared a heartfelt 'farewell' to his Great British Bake Off costar Matt Lucas on Tuesday, after the comedian decided to quit the show. 

In a message penned to Instagram, The Mighty Boosh star, 49, thanked Matt, 48, for 'three amazing years' and said he will miss the presenter's 'spark and huge smile.'

The Little Britain creator has co-hosted the Channel 4 show alongside Noel since 2020 but has decided his time on the programme is over due to his heavy workload. 

Alongside a photo of the two of them, Noel penned: 'So sad that Matt Lucas is leaving the show!

Farewell buddy thank you for 3 amazing years. 

'I will really miss your spark and huge smile in the tent and I will miss your kindness as a person and to all the bakers. 

'I will miss your sense of the absurd and your silliness.

I will miss all the times the four of us giggled together.'

Noel continued: 'I will miss your ability to turn into a fully formed character at the drop of a hat.

I will miss you pretending to be Boris Johnson singing David Bowie songs and i will miss your upbeat nature and positive vibes. 

'You are a huge comic talent but also a lovely man and a good friend. I wish you luck on your next adventure and look forward to watching as a fan. x See you in the real world soon buddy.

Don't forget "It's all about the showstopper" x x x'

Earlier this week, Matt announced that he has quit his role as presenter of The Great British Bake Off after three series.

In a statement, Matt cited his heavy workload as the reason he has stepped away from Bake Off, saying he wouldn't have the time to host it alongside his work on Fantasy Football League.

He wrote: 'Farewell Bake Off!
It's been a delicious experience and I can't imagine a more fun way of spending my summers.

'But it's become clear to me that I can't present both Fantasy Football League and Bake Off alongside all my other projects.

'So, after three series and 51 episodes, I am cheerfully passing the baguette on to someone else.

'I would like to give my warmest thanks and gratitude to everyone at Love Productions and Channel 4 and to Noelipops, Paul, Dame Prue, the crew and, of course, the wonderful bakers for welcoming me into the tent.

'I wish whoever takes over the very best and I can't wait to tune into the next series without already knowing who won!'

Matt joined the show in series 11, replacing fellow comedian Sandi Toksvig who left the programme after three seasons.

Noel Fielding, who joined as co-host when Bake Off moved to Channel 4 in series 8, will remain with the show alongside judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith.

During its original run on the BBC, the series was presented by Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc.