Did the isolation of the pandemic help the bakers form closer bonds? Maybe, Prado said. She knows it helped her, host Carla Hall and fellow judge Jason Smith form a closer bond. The trio created a friendship during the COVID-19 lockdowns that helped get them through the pandemic, Prado said. By the time shooting began, they had created their own sort of family unit. “Our relationship is very special,” she said, as the three share a similar work ethic and respect for what the baking competitors do. “We want the experience to be great for everyone on set.” Prado said the pandemic likely helped the bakers because many hadn’t been working regularly on their jobs, so they threw themselves into the difficult situations created by the competition show to bake at the heights of their creativity. She said people in the entertainment industry have told her they were amazed at how robust the COVID-19 protocols were in the “production bubble” the show’s producers created for participants.