| Director: |
|
| Presenter: |
|
| Judges: | |
| Theme Music Composer: | Tom Howe |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Num Series: | 14 |
| Num Episodes: | 134 (and 43 specials) |
| Executive Producer: |
|
| Producer: |
|
| Location: |
|
| Runtime: | 60 minutes |
| Company: | Love Productions |
| Channel: | BBC Two |
| Channel2: | BBC One |
| Channel3: | Channel 4 |
| Last Aired3: | present |
| Related: |
The Great British Bake Off (often abbreviated to Bake Off or GBBO, or as known in the US and Canada as The Great British Baking Show) is a British television baking competition, produced by Love Productions, in which a group of amateur bakers compete against each other in a series of rounds, attempting to impress two judges with their baking skills. One contestant is eliminated in each round, and the winner is selected from the three contestants who reach the final.
The first episode was aired on 17 August 2010, with its first four series broadcast on BBC Two, until its growing popularity led the BBC to move it to BBC One for the next three series. After its seventh series, Love Productions signed a three-year deal with Channel 4 to produce the series for the broadcaster.[1] The Great British Bake Off has been subsequently renewed through 2024, its fifteenth series.[2]
The series is credited with reinvigorating interest in baking throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, with shops in the UK reporting sharp rises in sales of baking ingredients and accessories. Many of its participants, including winners, have gone on to careers in baking, while the BAFTA award-winning programme has spawned a number of specials and spin-off shows: a celebrity charity series in aid of Sport Relief/Comic Relief or Stand Up to Cancer; Junior Bake Off for young children (broadcast on the CBBC channel, then on Channel 4 from 2019); after-show series An Extra Slice; and for teams of pastry chefs.[3]
The series has proven popular abroad; in the United States and Canada, where "Bake-Off" is a trademark owned by Pillsbury,[4] it airs as The Great British Baking Show. The series format has been sold globally for production of localised versions, and was adapted for both BBC Two series The Great British Sewing Bee and The Great Pottery Throw Down.
The baking competition was conceived by producer Anna Beattie after she spoke to a friend who had seen 'bake-offs' in America. Beattie was also inspired by the classic English village fête baking competitions; she said: "I loved that idea of village fetes and an old-fashioned baking competition with people who only wanted to bake a good cake."[5] However, Beattie failed to interest any channel in the idea for four years.
In early 2009, they pitched the idea to Janice Hadlow, then controller of BBC Two.[6] The pitch was successful, and Hadlow and Commissioning Editor Charlotte Moore commissioned the programme,[7] [8] which was then developed over the next six months. The development team first selected Mary Berry as a judge, and following an audition Paul Hollywood was also appointed. Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc were approached to be presenters of the show.
Reproducing the surroundings of the English village fête, the series is filmed in bunting-draped marquees in scenic gardens.[9] In the first series, the filming locations varied in different episodes, but only one location was used for each series from the second series onwards. The series is normally filmed over a 12 to 13 weeks period, and the filming usually takes place over the weekends with the exception of series 11 when filming was shortened to six weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amateur bakers who apply to appear in the show are first assessed by a researcher, followed by an audition in London with two of their bakes. They then undergo a screen test and an interview with a producer. A second audition involves the applicants baking two recipes for the judges in front of the cameras.[10] After a psychological evaluation, between 10 and 13 applicants are selected for the show, with two further bakers on standby should any of those selected drop out. What the bakers intended to bake during a particular challenge is illustrated using animated graphics. These graphics have been created by illustrator Tom Hovey since the show's inception in 2010.[11] [12]
On 17 August 2010, the first episode of The Great British Bake Off was shown on BBC Two.[13] It stayed on BBC Two for four years, grew in popularity and became the most popular programme on that channel. In its fifth series it was moved to BBC One where it stayed for three years. It was the most-watched programme on British television in 2015 and 2016.[14] [15] Following extended negotiations, Love Productions announced that the seventh series of the show would be the last broadcast by the BBC. On 12 September 2016, Love agreed to a three-year deal to broadcast the show on Channel 4.[1] Despite the move, BBC Studios retains global distribution and format rights to the series except in North America[16] and are set for renewal in 2028.[17]
Giedroyc and Perkins subsequently announced that they would not be returning when the show moved to its new network.[18] On 22 September 2016, Berry announced that she would also be leaving the show when it moved to Channel 4,[19] while Hollywood later announced he would stay.[20] In March 2017, it was announced that Prue Leith would join Hollywood as a judge, while Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig would take over as presenters.[21] After 3 years presenting the show, Toksvig announced her departure in 2020,[22] and was replaced by Matt Lucas.[23] On 6 December 2022, Lucas announced that he would leaving the show after three series.[24] On 17 March 2023, it was confirmed that Alison Hammond will replace Lucas as a presenter.[25]
The programme operates on a weekly elimination process to find the best all-around baker from the contestants, who are all amateurs. Ten contestants were chosen for the first series, twelve for the following two series, thirteen for the fourth and tenth,[26] and twelve from series five to series nine, and series eleven onward.
In each episode, the amateur bakers are given three challenges based on that week's theme: a signature bake, a technical challenge, and a show-stopper.[27] The three challenges take place over two days, and the filming takes up to 16 hours a day. Except for Series 9, the first week of the competition was usually "Cake Week". The contestants are assessed by the judges who then choose a "Star Baker" for the week (introduced in series 2), and a contestant is also eliminated although if the contestant numbers in certain years are not even or there is a non-elimination a week before, then two bakers may be eliminated. In the final round, three bakers are left and a winner is chosen from the three.
In the first series, the location of the cast and crew moved from town to town each week, but from the second series, the competition is held in one location in a specially constructed marquee. Interspersed in the programme are the backgrounds of the contestants as well as, in the earlier series, video vignettes on the history of baking.
See also: List of contestants, List of finalists (series 1–7) and List of finalists (series 8–present).
See main article: ''The Great British Bake Off'' (series 1). Series 1 of The Great British Bake Off saw ten home bakers take part in a bake-off to test their baking skills as they battled to be crowned the Great British Bake Off's best amateur baker. Each week the nationwide tour saw the bakers put through three challenges in a particular discipline. The rounds took place in various locations across the UK, with the final round being held at Fulham Palace, London.
The three finalists were Ruth Clemens, Miranda Gore Browne, and Edd Kimber. On 21 September 2010, Kimber was crowned the best amateur baker.[28]
See main article: ''The Great British Bake Off'' (series 2). The number of amateur baker contestants increased to twelve for the second series. Unlike Series 1, this year The Great British Bake Off stayed in one location – Valentines Mansion, a 17th-century mansion house in Redbridge, London.
The finalists were Holly Bell, Mary-Anne Boermans, and the winning contestant Joanne Wheatley.
See main article: ''The Great British Bake Off'' (series 3). The third series of The Great British Bake Off began on 14 August 2012.[29] The series was filmed at Harptree Court in East Harptree, Somerset.
The finalists were Brendan Lynch, James Morton and John Whaite, the last of whom won the final in a surprise result.[30]
In the US, the third series was broadcast as season 5 on PBS, and on Netflix as The Great British Baking Show: The Beginnings.
See main article: ''The Great British Bake Off'' (series 4).
The fourth series of The Great British Bake Off started on 20 August 2013 on BBC Two. The series was again filmed at Harptree Court in East Harptree, Somerset.[31] The final was won by Frances Quinn, with Ruby Tandoh and Kimberley Wilson as runners up.
In the US, the fourth series was broadcast as season 2 on PBS, and on Netflix as Collection 2.
See main article: ''The Great British Bake Off'' (series 5).
The fifth series of The Great British Bake Off began airing on 6 August 2014 on BBC One. This series was filmed at Welford Park in Berkshire.[32] There were twelve bakers taking part. Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood returned as judges, whilst Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc continued to present the series. Richard Burr was awarded the largest number of star baker designations of any series so far but was beaten by Nancy Birtwhistle in the final.
A spin-off show , hosted by comedian Jo Brand on BBC Two, was also launched as a companion series in the same year. Each episode was broadcast two days after the main show but later moved to the same night. The show includes interviews with eliminated contestants.[33]
In the US, the fifth series was broadcast as season 1 on PBS, and on Netflix as Collection 1.
See main article: ''The Great British Bake Off'' (series 6). The sixth series began on 5 August 2015[34] on BBC One, again from Welford Park in Berkshire. The spin-off show returned for a second series, with Jo Brand as host. This series was won by Nadiya Hussain, with Ian Cumming and Tamal Ray as runners up.[35]
In the US, the sixth series was broadcast as season 3 on PBS, and on Netflix as Collection 3.
See main article: ''The Great British Bake Off'' (series 7). The seventh series began on 24 August 2016 on BBC One, once again from Welford Park in Berkshire, a later than usual start following the BBC's coverage of the Olympic Games.[36] This series was won by Candice Brown, with Jane Beedle and Andrew Smyth as runners up.
In the US, the seventh series was broadcast as season 4 on PBS, and on Netflix as Collection 4.
See main article: ''The Great British Bake Off'' (series 8). The eighth series of The Great British Bake Off began airing on 29 August 2017.[37] This is the first series of The Great British Bake Off to be broadcast on Channel 4 following its move from the BBC.[38] The series features new hosts Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig, and new judge Prue Leith along with returning judge Paul Hollywood. This series was won by Sophie Faldo, with Kate Lyon and Steven Carter-Bailey finishing as runners-up.
The eighth series is broadcast on Netflix as Collection 5.
See main article: ''The Great British Bake Off'' (series 9). The ninth series of The Great British Bake Off began airing on 28 August 2018.[39]
On 30 October 2018, Sheffield University researcher Rahul Mandal, from Rotherham, was announced as the winner of The Great British Bake Off 2018.[40] [41] The runners-up were Ruby Bhogal and Kim-Joy Hewlett.
The ninth series is broadcast on Netflix as Collection 6.
See main article: ''The Great British Bake Off'' (series 10). The tenth series of The Great British Bake Off began airing on 27 August 2019.[42] On 29 October 2019, David Atherton was announced as the winner of The Great British Bake Off 2019, becoming the first winner never to have won Star Baker during the competition.[43] The runners-up were Steph Blackwell and Alice Fevronia.
The tenth series is broadcast on Netflix as Collection 7.
See main article: ''The Great British Bake Off'' (series 11). The eleventh series of The Great British Bake Off began airing on 22 September 2020. Matt Lucas replaced Sandi Toksvig as host, alongside returning host Noel Fielding and judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood. The first three episodes ran for 90 minutes rather than the previous 75 minutes.[44] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, filming was shortened to six weeks. The cast and crew had to live in a "self-contained biosphere",[45] which was Down Hall Hotel in Bishop's Stortford where a marquee was put up in its garden for the competition.[46] On 24 November 2020, it was announced that this series was won by Peter Sawkins, with Laura Adlington and Dave Friday finishing as the runners-up.
The eleventh series was broadcast on Netflix as Collection 8, released weekly three days after the UK air date.[47]
See main article: ''The Great British Bake Off'' (series 12). The twelfth series began airing on Tuesday 21 September 2021. The twelfth series was broadcast on Netflix as Collection 9, released weekly three days after the UK air date.[48] [49]
On 23 November 2021, Giuseppe Dell'Anno was announced as the winner, becoming the first Italian to win the programme. The runners-up were Chigs Parmar and Crystelle Pereira.[50]
See main article: ''The Great British Bake Off'' (series 13).
The thirteenth series of the Great British Bake Off began airing on Tuesday 13 September 2022 on Channel 4. The thirteenth series was broadcast on Netflix as Collection 10, released weekly three days after the UK air date.[51]
On 15 November 2022, Syabira Yusoff was announced as the winner of the programme. The runners-up were Sandro Farmhouse and Abdul Rehman.
See main article: ''The Great British Bake Off'' (series 14).
The Great British Bake Off began airing on Tuesday 26 September 2023 on Channel 4 with Alison Hammond replacing Matt Lucas as host alongside Noel Fielding. The fourteenth series was broadcast on Netflix as Collection 11, releasing weekly on Fridays three days after the UK air date.[52]
On 28 November 2023, Matty Edgel was announced as the winner of the programme. The runners-up were Josh Smalley and Dan Hunter.
Periodically, accidents and other errors have influenced the results of a round of judging. Several have had a significant impact on what a baker presents, notably:
Since 2016, two-holiday specials have been transmitted between each series. The special will typically feature four returning bakers from the previous series to compete in three holiday-themed challenges (excluding the second 2019 special which featured the cast of the sitcom Derry Girls, the first 2021 special which featured the cast of the drama It's a Sin, and the first 2022 special which featured Channel 4 legends to commemorate the channel's 40th anniversary). Since 2017 (following the move from BBC), one special is broadcast on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and the other on New Year's Day on Channel 4.[56]
| Series | Winner | Other contestants |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Mary-Anne Boermans (Series 2) | Cathryn Dresser (Series 3), Ali Imdad (Series 4) and Norman Calder (Series 5) |
| Chetna Makan (Series 5) | Janet Basu (Series 2), James Morton (Series 3) and Howard Middleton (Series 4) | |
| 2017 | Paul Jagger (Series 6) | Beca Lyne-Pirkis (Series 4), Selasi Gbormittah (Series 7) and Val Stones (Series 7) |
| Rav Bansal (Series 7) | Rob Billington (Series 2), Sandy Docherty (Series 6) and Benjamina Ebuehi (Series 7) | |
| 2018 | Jane Beedle (Series 7) | Andrew Smyth (Series 7), Flo Atkins (Series 8) and Liam Charles (Series 8) |
| Steven Carter-Bailey (Series 8) | Kate Henry (Series 5), Tamal Ray (Series 6) and Candice Brown (Series 7) | |
| 2019 | Briony Williams (Series 9) | Tom Hetherington (Series 8), Yan Tsou (Series 8) and Terry Hartill (Series 9) |
| 2019 (Derry Girls edition) | Saoirse-Monica Jackson | Dylan Llewellyn, Jamie-Lee O'Donnell, Nicola Coughlan and Siobhán McSweeney |
| 2020 | Rosie Brandreth-Poynter (Series 10) | James Hillery (Series 8), Ruby Bhogal (Series 9) and Jamie Finn (Series 10) |
| Rahul Mandal (Series 9) | Nancy Birtwhistle (Series 5), Helena Garcia (Series 10) and Henry Bird (Series 10) | |
| 2021 (It's a Sin edition) | Nathaniel Curtis | Olly Alexander, Lydia West and Shaun Dooley |
| 2021 | Kim-Joy Hewlett (Series 9) | Jon Jenkins (Series 9), Hermine Doussou (Series 11) and Rowan Williams (Series 11) |
| 2022 (Channel 4 legends edition) | Terry Christian, Tony Robinson, Gaby Roslin and Claire Sweeney | |
| 2022 | Manon Lagrève (Series 9) | Antony Amourdoux (Series 9), Lottie Bedlow (Series 11) and Chigs Parmar (Series 12) |
| 2023 | Sophie Faldo (Series 8) | Dan Beasley-Harling (Series 9), Amelia Le Bruin (Series 10), Linda Rayfield (Series 11), George Aristidou (Series 12), Carole Edwards (Series 13) |
| Maxy Maligisa (Series 13) | Mark Lutton (Series 11), Jürgen Krauss (Series 12) and Maggie Richardson (Series 12) | |
The early reviews for the first series were mixed. Lucy Mangan of The Guardian wondered if "competitive baking [is] a contradiction in terms" and found the proceedings humourless.[57] Iain Hollingshead of The Daily Telegraph was scathing, describing the presenters as "annoying", the judge Paul Hollywood as looking "sinister without being interesting", and that the audience would be so bored that they "could certainly forgive the cameraman if he were to commit hara-kiri in a giant pool of egg and flour."[58]
However, reviews from the later series were more positive. Andrew Collins of The Guardian called it "the nicest show on television" and judged it the best TV programme of 2012.[59] [60] Rachel Ward of The Daily Telegraph thought the programme "had just the right consistency of mouth-watering morsels, good humour, and fascinating history",[61] while Tom Sutcliffe of The Independent considered the contest "perfectly baked".[62] Meredith Blake of Los Angeles Times wrote that the show is "Escapist entertainment at its sweetest."[63]
Bake Off was moved to Channel 4 in 2017, and reviews of the programme on the channel were largely positive, although a few felt that it did not compare well to the BBC version.[64] [65] [66] Mark Lawson of The Guardian described the programme on Channel 4 as "both exactly the same but also just subtly different enough", and that "only someone desperate to dislike the re-plated show could argued that [it] has soured, spoiled or binned its recipe".[67] Michael Hogan of The Telegraph thought that "Mary, Mel and Sue might be gone but the show's recipe remains as winning as ever. The four Cs – chemistry, camaraderie, comedy, cakes – were all present and correct."[68] Anna Leszkiewicz of the New Statesman however considered that while the format had been left largely unchanged and the contestants "irresistibly likeable", "every single change to the show has been for the worse".[65]
Its American broadcast has a Metacritic rating of 88, indicating "universal acclaim".[69]
Bake Off is credited with spurring an interest in home baking, with supermarkets and department stores in the UK reporting sharp rises in sales of baking ingredients and accessories.[70] The show is also credited with reviving Women's Institutes, whose membership reached its highest level since the 1970s.[71] Between 2010 and 2013, the Bake Off effect had seen membership grow by a quarter to over 211,000. It was the largest impact on membership since the release of the 2003 British comedy film Calendar Girls, starring Helen Mirren and Julie Walters, where a group of middle-aged Yorkshire women produced a nude calendar to raise money for Leukaemia Research under the auspices of the Women's Institutes. Ruth Bond, chairwoman of the National Federation of Women's Institutes, said Bake Off has inspired women to take up baking by 'taking away the fear factor' and making it look fun.[72] The show also boosted the sales of bakery books and the number of baking clubs, and independent bakeries also showed an increase. According to one analyst, more than three-fifths of adults baked at home at least once in 2013 compared with only a third in 2011.[73]
A stage musical written by Jake Brunger and Pippa Cleary based on the series and endorsed by Love Productions opened in Cheltenham in July 2022.[74] In addition, a whole host of similar shows started getting commissioned on TV including The Great British Sewing Bee, Forged in Fire, Lego Masters and The Great Pottery Throw Down.
The first series of The Great British Bake Off premiered in August 2010 with moderate ratings of just over 2 million viewers for its first episode.[75] This was enough to place it in BBC Two's top ten for that week, and over the series the audience grew to over 3 million, with the semi-final and final both achieving first place in BBC Two's weekly ratings. During the second series, the ratings gradually increased, and it became a surprise hit with nearly 4 million watching each episode. Week two was the last time that the show was out-rated by another BBC Two programme in the same week (it came second to the drama Page Eight); from then until the show's move to BBC One, every competition episode would be the channel's number one rated programme of the week. By its final episode it had averaged 4.56 million viewers, peaking at 5.1 million in its last 15 minutes.[76]
The ratings continued to strengthen in the third series, and the show began to beat its competition in its timeslot.[77] The final of the series where John Whaite was crowned the winner saw its highest rating yet, with an average of 6.5 million viewers that peaked at 7.2 million, which made it the second highest-rated BBC Two-originated show after Top Gear since at least 2006.[78] [79] The fourth series achieved some of the highest ratings seen on BBC Two. The viewer count for its premiere episode was more than two million higher than that of the previous series,[80] while the final episode was seen by 9.1 million viewers at its peak, more than twice the number of viewers on BBC One and ITV.[81] The final episode is the most-watched show on BBC Two since the present ratings system was introduced in 2002, beating the previous record set by Top Gear.[82] As a result of its high ratings, the show was moved to BBC One.[83]
After its move to BBC One, the opening episode was watched by over 7 million viewers according to overnight figures, beating the figure of 5.6 million for the opening episode of the previous year.[84] The Bingate controversy surrounding episode four helped the show gain its biggest ever audience of 10.3 million viewers, with 2 million people who watched it on BBC iPlayer.[85] The final of the show gained an overnight viewing figure of 12.29 million, then the highest viewing figure of the year for a non-sporting event on British TV.[86] In the following year, the top ten ratings for 2015 was also dominated by The Great British Bake Off, with seven of the year's ten most-watched television programmes being episodes of the show, topped by the final episode with 15.05 million viewers.[87] In the last series on the BBC in 2016, nine of the top ten most-watched programmes of the year were episodes of the show, with 16.03 million viewers watching the finale.[88]
The first series broadcast by Channel 4 opened with average viewing figures of 5.8 million, rising to 6.5 million to include those watching on Channel 4+1, and 9.46 million for the 7-day rating.[89] Although the overnight figure was the lowest for an opening episode since 2013, it was Channel 4's biggest audience since the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Paralympics.[90] This series attracted an average audience of 9 million viewers on Channel 4.[91]
The eleventh series in 2020 received the highest audience for a TV series ever seen on Channel 4 in 35 years, after the miniseries A Woman of Substance which was watched by 13.9 million viewers in 1985. Its opening and final episodes were watched by 11.2 and 11.5 million viewers respectively, with a consolidated audience figure averaging at 10.6 million for the series.[92] [93] The series, which was available on Netflix in the US, was also the fifth most-streamed show among American audience in October 2020 according to Nielsen.[94]
In September 2012, production company Love Productions was sanctioned by the BBC for product placement of Smeg fridges. The issue came to light after a viewer wrote to the Radio Times complaining of "blatant product promotion". After an investigation, the BBC said Love Production's loan agreement with Smeg did not meet editorial guidelines and was being revised for the third series, and that appropriate retrospective hire payments would be made.[95] The BBC asked Smeg to remove a notice from its website promoting its association with the show, which it did.[96]
During the fourth series allegations arose regarding Paul Hollywood's favouritism toward Ruby Tandoh,[97] resulting in personal attacks against Tandoh including by the chef Raymond Blanc who derided her for being thin and at times crying, which he called “female tears”.[98] Tandoh subsequently defended herself with an article in The Guardian and reflected on the anger and misogyny in online commentary about the show.[99] [100] Both Hollywood and Tandoh denied the accusation.[101] Late in the ninth series, allegations of judges' favouritism toward Rahul Mandal arose among a small group of fans loyal to Kim-Joy, [102] after judges gave Mandal compensatory time to complete his task. A shattered glass jug forced Mandal to stop and rendered his bake in progress unsafe. The producers awarded Mandal the time (15 minutes) he lost while his station was cleaned, after which he started his bake again from the beginning.
In the fourth episode of the fifth series, there was controversy around the elimination of contestant Iain Watters. During the final showstopper round contestants were tasked with producing a Baked Alaska. Iain's ice cream was shown as having not set and in a show of frustration he threw his bake in the bin. The editing of the show suggested that another contestant, Diana Beard, had caused the failure by removing the ice cream from a freezer, and the perceived "sabotage" resulted in an uproar on social media networks.[103] However, unseen footage broadcast in the accompanying programme An Extra Slice shows Luis holding the large floor freezer that contained Iain's ice cream open as he piped the sides of his own baked Alaska, while Mel warns him to pipe quickly and close the freezer. Later in the episode, when Iain removes his ice cream to begin the next step of his dish, it is still quite soft, indicating it went into the freezer he shared with Diana without being completely frozen. Various members of the cast posted comments in support of Diana[104] and a BBC spokesman later issued a statement that "Diana removing Iain's ice cream from the freezer for less than a minute was in no way responsible for Iain's departure."[105]
More than 800 complaints were lodged with the BBC over the incident and some also complained to the communication watchdog Ofcom.[106]
A number of viewers complained to the BBC feedback show Points of View in the fifth series about the "constant smutty remarks" from the presenters Mel and Sue.[107] [108] This series was seen as having more innuendos than previous ones; some reviewers noted the "extra pinch of saucy spice" and "the increasingly filthy-minded hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins".[109] [110] However, the series 3 winner John Whaite argued that innuendo is part of what made the show a success, whilst judge Paul Hollywood described the innuendos as banter in the spirit of the Carry On films and a part of British culture,[111] a view shared by others.[112] [113]
The success of The Great British Bake Off led to the BBC commissioning many other series closely following the format from Love Productions for example The Great British Sewing Bee and The Great Pottery Throw Down. However, when the 2014 series Hair using the same format was produced in house by the BBC, Love Productions responded by making preparations to sue the BBC for infringing their copyright.[114] [115] Although the matter was kept quiet, with the BBC settling out of court and compensating Love Productions, the matter soured relations between the BBC and Love Productions. In September 2016, it was announced that the BBC had lost the broadcast rights of the show to Channel 4.[116] Channel 4 offered £25 million for the show outbidding the £15 million offered by the BBC. In January 2017 the BBC waived its rights to keep the programme off the air until 2018, and wished it "well for the future".[117]
On 31 October 2017, judge Prue Leith accidentally revealed that Sophie Faldo was the winner of Series 8 on her Twitter account, twelve hours before the finale was due to air. This caused uproar among many fans of the show. She quickly deleted the tweet and apologised to the fans who saw it.[118] The first episode of Series 9 poked fun at the incident by having hosts Toksvig and Fielding dress as Marty McFly and Doc Brown from Back to the Future and travel back in time via a DeLorean time machine to stop Leith from tweeting out the season's winner.[119]
In the Bake Off 2023 Festive Special, this controversy was referenced by Prue Leith where at 55:16, she jokes "this time I won't Tweet it" while speaking to Sophie Faldo.[120]
Recent series have included weeks themed around a designated country, many of which have been criticised for their use of inauthentic dishes, fostering of stereotypes and "casual" racism.
In season 11, "Japan Week" was widely and heavily criticised for not having any actual Japanese pastries. One of the participants opted to make an Indian-inspired bun with a dahl filling, while another chose a Chinese stir-fry filling, neither of which would be found in traditional Japanese baking.[121] Viewers of the show were particularly offended with contestant Hermine styling her steamed buns to look like panda bears, a species that is native to China and not Japan, and another baker's looked like an American-style cheeseburger and fries.[121] Most contestants chose to do Chinese or Indian flavours, resulting in the show being called out for assuming "all Asians are Japanese".[122] Comedian Nigel Ng portraying Uncle Roger, also criticize the bakers, claiming that each baker represent each country that's not Japan.
After the airing of the "German Week" episode in series 12, Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas were criticised on social media for mocking a German accent during the show. It was widely described as 'irritating and inappropriate', raised the question over whether this would be allowed if it were another nationality.[123] Lucas in particular was criticised by many viewers for his "casual racism".[124] In the same episode, Paul Hollywood apologised to German contestant Jürgen because the week's showstopper challenge was not something German: participants were given the task of making a three-tier cake with yeast. Jürgen was reportedly "baffled" by this challenge, and said that it was not something that he would normally see at home. Hollywood joked that he had "anglicised" the challenge.[125]
During series 13, the episode broadcast on 4 October 2022, was "Mexican week". Like many previous weeks celebrating foreign cuisine, the show was branded with allegations of cultural appropriation. Additionally, criticism was directed at the incorrect pronunciation, inaccurate labelling of Mexican dishes, and a sketch where Matt and Noel dressed in sombreros and ponchos, which was deemed disrespectful.[126] The New York Times restaurant critic Tejal Rao called the episode "casually racist."[127]
September 2023, prior to series 14, the show's producers announced the series would no longer include nationally-themed weeks, replacing them with a new party-cake week.[128]
The Great British Bake Off was nominated for a Rose d'Or in the Lifestyle section of the 2012 competition and won.[129] [130] The programme has been nominated a number of times in various categories for the BAFTA awards and won in 2012, 2013, and 2016.[131] [132] It also won two 2015 National Television Award for Skills Challenge Show.[133]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Results | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Rose d'Or | Lifestyle | The Great British Bake Off | [134] | |
| BAFTA TV Awards | Features | Anna Beattie, Andy Devonshire, Simon Evans, Richard McKerrow | [135] | ||
| YouTube Audience Award | The Great British Bake Off | ||||
| 2013 | Features | Anna Beattie, Kieran Smith, Amanda Westwood, Scott Tankard | |||
| Radio Times Audience Award | The Great British Bake Off | [136] | |||
| National Television Award | Factual Entertainment | [137] | |||
| 2014 | BAFTA TV Awards | Features | Anna Beattie, Amanda Westwood, Samantha Beddoes, Simon Evans | [138] | |
| National Television Award | Factual Entertainment | The Great British Bake Off | [139] | ||
| 2015 | BAFTA TV Awards | Features | Anna Beattie, Samantha Beddoes, Andy Devonshire, Simon Evans | [140] | |
| Radio Times Audience Award | The Great British Bake Off | [141] | |||
| National Television Award | Skills Challenge Show | ||||
| 2016 | National Television Award | Challenge Show | [142] | ||
| BAFTA TV Awards | Features | The Great British Bake Off production team | [143] | ||
| Radio Times audience award | The Great British Bake Off | ||||
| Asian Viewers Television Awards | Best Of British | ||||
| 2017 | National Television Award | Challenge Show | [144] | ||
| TV judge | Mary Berry | [145] | |||
| BAFTA TV Awards | Features | The Great British Bake Off production team | [146] | ||
| Asian Viewers Television Awards | Best Of British | The Great British Bake Off | |||
| 2019 | National Television Award | Factual Entertainment | [147] | ||
| BAFTA TV Awards | Features | [148] | |||
| 2020 | National Television Award | Challenge Show | |||
| 2021 | Critics' Choice Real TV Awards | Best Competition Series | [149] | ||
| National Television Award | Challenge Show |
The British version of The Great British Bake Off is broadcast in many countries and it has been sold to 196 territories as of 2015.[150] The format has also been sold to 20 territories by 2015, making it the third most successful BBC format after Strictly Come Dancing and The Weakest Link.[151] Many of these shows have been successful.[152] [153] The Junior Bake Off format has also been sold to Thailand.[154]
CBC Television began broadcasting The Great British Bake Off in Canada in August 2016, starting with the sixth series under the title The Great British Baking Show. Subsequent seasons have aired the summer following their British airings, with Series 9 debuting in July 2019.[155]
The CBC also produces a Canadian version called The Great Canadian Baking Show with an identical format.
The Great British Bake Off airs in the United States under the name The Great British Baking Show because "Bake-Off" is a registered trademark of Pillsbury in the U.S.[156] As of October 2022, the British series 1–7 were available in the United States on The Roku Channel, labeled as Seasons 1–7,[157] and the British series 8–13 were available in the United States on Netflix, labeled as Collections 5–10.[158]
From 2014 to 2018, the US broadcaster PBS aired five series of the show.[159] [160] PBS broadcast the fifth British series as Season 1 in winter 2014–2015, shortly after it aired in the UK, and in autumn 2015 PBS broadcast the fourth British series as Season 2 because the new British series was not ready.[161] The sixth series was broadcast as Season 3 in summer 2016,[162] and the seventh series was broadcast as Season 4 in summer 2017.[163] After the show moved to Channel 4, PBS purchased the BBC's third series and broadcast it as Season 5 instead of licensing the eighth series from Channel 4. PBS chose not to license the Channel 4 series.[164]
In 2018, Netflix acquired the rights to stream the eighth British series, which was the first from Channel 4, and debuted it as a "Netflix Original Production" labeled as Collection 5; the service already had PBS's Seasons 1–4 available for streaming, labeled as Collections 1–4.[165] Netflix added the third British series as a separate show, The Great British Baking Show: The Beginnings, later in 2018. In January 2022, Collections 1–4 and The Great British Baking Show: The Beginnings left Netflix.[166] Netflix also added the Holiday and Masterclass episodes as separate shows from the individual seasons they were originally part of. The Great British Baking Show: Holidays includes the holiday episodes that have aired since 2018.[167] The Masterclass episodes were added to Netflix in April 2017 as The Great British Baking Show: Masterclass, but were removed in April 2021.[168]
In 2022, The Roku Channel began streaming the seven British series that originally aired on the BBC, including the first and second series that had not previously been available in the U.S.[169]
The following table shows the analogous series numbers between the major distributors; the series in italics are no longer available from that distributor:[170]
| Original UK series number | The Roku Channel | Netflix | PBS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series 1 (2010) | Season 1 | – | – | |
| Series 2 (2011) | Season 2 | – | – | |
| Series 3 (2012) | Season 3 | The Beginnings | Season 5 | |
| Series 4 (2013) | Season 4 | Collection 2 | Season 2 | |
| Series 5 (2014) | Season 5 | Collection 1 | Season 1 | |
| Series 6 (2015) | Season 6 | Collection 3 | Season 3 | |
| Series 7 (2016) | Season 7 | Collection 4 | Season 4 | |
| Series 8 (2017) | – | Collection 5 | – | |
| Series 9 (2018) | – | Collection 6 | – | |
| Series 10 (2019) | – | Collection 7 | – | |
| Series 11 (2020) | – | Collection 8 | – | |
| Series 12 (2021) | – | Collection 9 | – | |
| Series 13 (2022) | – | Collection 10 | – | |
| Series 14 (2023) | – | Collection 11 | – |
| Country | Local title | Host(s) | Judges | Channel | Premiere | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arab Bake off | Juliana Saada | Pierre Kurdi Michel Selim Jamal Al-Ali | Al-Dar 4 | 11 February 2022 | ||
Arabic: {{ill|Le Meilleur Pâtissier الجزائري|ar(The Algerian Best Pastry Chef) | Mehdi Yades | Mehdi Hadj Mebarek Lella Louza | Echourouk TV | 28 January 2023 | ||
| Bake Off Argentina, El Gran Pastelero (Bake Off Argentina, The Great Baker) | Paula Chaves[171] | Damián Betular (2018–present) Pamela Villar (2018–present) Dolli Irigoyen (2021) Christophe Krywonis | Telefe[172] | 8 April 2018 | ||
| The Great Australian Bake Off | Shane Jacobson Anna Gare[173] | Nine Network[174] | 9 July 2013 | |||
| Maggie Beer Matt Moran[175] | 13 October 2015 | |||||
| Dutch; Flemish: {{ill|De MeesterBakker|nl (The Master Baker) | Bernard Proot | 4 April 2012 | ||||
| Dutch; Flemish: Bake Off Vlaanderen[176] (Bake Off Flanders) | Regula Ysewijn Herman Van Dender | 30 August 2017 | ||||
| The Great Canadian Baking Show | Dan Levy (seasons 1–2) Julia Chan (seasons 1–2) Aurora Browne (season 3) Carolyn Taylor (season 3) Ann Pornel (season 4-) Alan Shane Lewis (season 4-) | Bruno Feldeisen (seasons 1–) Rochelle Adonis (seasons 1–2) Kyla Kennaley (seasons 3-) | 1 November 2017 | |||
| Le meilleur pâtissier du Québec | Marie-Ève Janvier Joël Legendre | Joël Lahon Gaël Vidricaire | 17 January 2022 | |||
| [177] (Bake Off Chile, The Great Baker) | Carolina de Moras | Yann Yvin Gustavo Sáez Millaray Vallejos | 6 August 2018 | |||
| Czech: {{ill|Peče celá země|cs (Whole country bakes) | (Mirka van Gils Slavíková) Michaela Landová Josef Maršálek | 4 January 2020 | ||||
| Danish: {{ill|Den store bagedyst|da (The Great Baking Bout) | Neel Rønholt (season 1) Peter Ingemann (season 1–2) Timm Vladimir (season 3–) | Mette Blomsterberg (season 1–6) Jan Friis-Mikkelsen (season 1–6) Katrine Foged Thomsen (season 7–) Marcus Grigo (season 7-) | 28 August 2012[178] | |||
| Estonian: {{ill|Eesti parim pagar|et[179] | Angeelika Kang Ants Uustalu | 31 August 2015 | ||||
| Finnish: {{ill|Koko Suomi leipoo|fi[180] (All of Finland bakes) | Mika Parviainen Sami Granroth | MTV3[181] | 24 September 2013 | |||
| French: [[Le Meilleur Pâtissier]][182] (The Best Pastry Chef) | Faustine Bollaert (2012–17) Julia Vignali (2017–21) Marie Portolano (2021–23) Laëtitia Milot (2024-) | M6[183] RTL-TVI (Belgium) | 26 November 2012 | |||
| German: {{ill|Das große Backen|de (The great Bake) | Britt Hagedorn (2013) Meltem Kaptan (2013) Enie van de Meiklokjes (2014–16, 2018–) Annika Lau (2017) | Christian Hümbs Enie van de Meiklokjes (2013) Andrea Schirmaier-Huber (2013–14) Betty Schliephake-Burchardt (2015–) | 1 December 2013 | |||
| Hungarian: {{ill|Ide süss!|hu (Az ország nagy cukrászversenye) | Hajós András Sass Dániel | Baracskay Angéla Szabadfi Szabolcs | 26 March 2018 | |||
| Italian: {{ill|Bake Off Italia - Dolci in forno|it[184] (Bake Off Italy – Sweets in the oven) | Ernst Knam Clelia d'Onofrio Damiano Carrara | Real Time[185] | November 2013 | |||
| Hebrew: {{ill|בייק אוף ישראל|he[186] (Bake Off Israel) | Paula Rosenberg Aya Kremerman | Ran Shmueli Oded Brenner Carine Goren | 9 April 2016 | |||
| The Great Kenyan Bake Off[187] | June Gachui Nick Ndeda | Kiran Jethwa Myra Kivuvani Ndungu | 7 October 2019 | |||
| Japanese: {{ill|ベイクオフ・ジャパン|ja (Bake Off Japan) [188] | Toshihiko Yoroizuka Yoshimi Ishikawa | 22 April 2022 | ||||
| Pâtissier أحسن[189] (The Best Pastry Chef) | Fadwa Hirate | Othmane Belefkih Bouchra Tamimi | 2M | 26 January 2021[190] | ||
| Dutch; Flemish: {{ill|Heel Holland Bakt|nl (All of Holland bakes) | [191] (2013–15) André van Duin (2016–present) | Robèrt van Beckhoven Janny van der Heijden | MAX (NPO 1) | 5 June 2013[192] | ||
| The Great Kiwi Bake Off | TVNZ 2 (2018–2019) TVNZ 1 (2021) | 16 October 2018 [193] [194] | ||||
| Norwegian: {{ill|Hele Norge baker|no (All of Norway Bakes) | Pascal Dupuy Øyvind Lofthus[195] | TV3[196] | 10 March 2013[197] | |||
| Bake Off Romania[198] | Nicolle Stanese[199] | Alex Stan Simona Pope Tudor Constantinescu | 29 February 2016[200] | |||
| Slovak: {{ill|Pečie celé Slovensko|sk | Juraj Bača Milan "Junior" Zimnýkoval | Petra Tóthová Jozefína Zaukolcová | RTVS[201] | 10 October 2021 | ||
| The Great South African Bake Off[202] | Anne Hirsch Donovan Goliath (series 1) Lentswe Bhengu (series 2–3) Lesego Tlhabi (series 4) Glen Biderman-Pam (series 4) | Shirley Guy Tjaart Walraven Siba Mtongana (series 4) Paul Hartmann (series 4) | 9 August 2023[203] | |||
| Bake Off: Famosos al horno[204] [205] (Bake Off: Celebrities to the oven) | Paula Vázquez | Paco Roncero Eva Arguiñano Damián Betular | La 1 | 11 January 2024 | ||
| Swedish: {{ill|Hela Sverige bakar|sv[206] (All of Sweden Bakes) | Johan Sörberg Birgitta Rasmussen | TV4 (Sjuan) | 20 September 2012 | |||
| Swedish: Hela kändis-Sverige bakar[207] (Celebrity All of Sweden Bakes) | 11 November 2014 | |||||
| The Great Thai Bake Off[208] (Thai: ยอดนักอบขนม) | TBA | TBA | PPTV HD 36[209] | June 2019 | ||
| Bake Off Uruguay | Jimena Sabaris Annasofía Facello [210] | Sofía Muñoz Hugo Soca Rose Galfione Stephanie Rauhut Jean Paul Bondoux | Canal 4[211] | 26 August 2021[212] |
| Country | Local title | Host(s) | Judges | Channel | Premiere |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bake Off Brasil | Carol Fiorentino Chris Flores Nadja Haddad | Carol Fiorentino Fabrizio Fasano Jr. Olivier Anquier Carlos Bertolazzi Giuseppe Gerundino Beca Milano | 25 July 2015 | ||
| Bake Off SBT | 23 December 2017 | ||||
| Júnior Bake Off Brasil | 6 January 2018 | ||||
| Bake Off Celebridades | 20 February 2021 | ||||
| Bake Off: Bulgarian: Най-сладкото състезание (Bake Off: The Sweetest Competition) | Julia Pandzherova Yuri Baltaliyski | 15 November 2016 | |||
| Bake Off Greece | Ioanna Triantafyllidou | Nikolas Straggas Akis Petretzikis Dimitris Xronopoulos | 23 September 2018 | ||
| The Great Irish Bake Off | Anna Nolan[213] | Biddy White Lennon Paul Kelly[214] | 19 September 2013 | ||
| Polski turniej wypieków [''Polish baking contest''] | Piotr Gąsowski (1[215] –2[216]) Marta Grycan (1) Katarzyna Skrzynecka (2) | Bożena Sikoń (1–2) Tomasz Deker (1–2) | TLC [Polish] | 10 October 2012 | |
| Polish: {{ill|Bake Off – Ale ciacho!|pl [''Bake Off – what a cupcake!''] | Paulina Mikuła (1) Anna Gacek (1) Marcelina Zawadzka (2–5) Dorota Czaja (2) Katarzyna Kołeczek (3–4) Ida Nowakowska (5) | Krzysztof Ilnicki (1–5) Małgorzata Molska (1–2) Michał Bryś (3–5) | TVP2 | 5 September 2016[217] | |
| Bake Off Junior [''Junior Bake Off''] | Marcelina Zawadzka (1) Ida Nowakowska (1) | Krzysztof Ilnicki (1) Michał Bryś (1) | 6 September 2018 | ||
| Spanish; Castilian: {{ill|Bake Off España|es[218] (Bake Off Spain) | Dani Álvarez Betina Montagne Miquel Guarro | 6 March 2019 | |||
| Spanish; Castilian: {{ill|Celebrity Bake Off España|es[219] (Celebrity Bake Off Spain) | Clara Villalón Frédéric Bau | Amazon Prime Video | 16 December 2021 | ||
| Turkish: Ver Fırına | TV8[220] | 20 October 2014[221] | |||
| Ukrainian: {{ill|Velykyy Pekarsʹkyy Turnir|uk|Великий Пекарський Турнір (Великий пекарський турнір; Great Bakers Tournament) | [222] | Serge Markovic Catherine Ahronik Olga Ganushchak | 1+1[223] | 1 September 2013[224] | |
| The American Baking Competition[225] [226] | CBS[227] | 29 May 2013[228] | |||
| The Great American Baking Show | Nia Vardalos (seasons 1–2) Ian Gomez (seasons 1–2) Ayesha Curry (season 3) Anthony Adams (seasons 3–4) Emma Bunton (season 4) | Johnny Iuzzini (seasons 1–3) Mary Berry (seasons 1–2) Paul Hollywood (season 3–4) Sherry Yard (season 4)[229] | 30 November 2015 [230] [231] [232] [233] |
| The Great Sport Relief Bake Off | |
| Genre: |
|
| Presenter: | |
| Judges: | |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Num Series: | 3 |
| Num Episodes: | 12 |
| Runtime: | 60 minutes |
| Company: | Love Productions |
| Channel: | BBC Two (2012–2013) BBC One (2014–2016) |
Episode viewing figures from BARB.[234]
| No. | Signature Challenge | Technical Challenge | Showstopper Challenge | Contestants | Airdate | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Traybake | Wholemeal Cheese Scones | Meringue Dessert | Angela Griffin | 3.52 | |
| James Wong | ||||||
| Joe Swift | ||||||
| Sarah Hadland | ||||||
| 2 | Savoury Flan | Banana & Chocolate Chip Loaves | Layered Cake | Arlene Phillips | 2.79 | |
| Fi Glover | ||||||
| Gus Casely-Hayford | ||||||
| Saira Khan | ||||||
| 3 | Classic Crumble | Coffee & Walnut Cake | 24 Miniature Tarts | Alex Deakin | 2.56 | |
| Alex Langlands | ||||||
| Anita Rani | ||||||
| Pearl Lowe | ||||||
| 4 | Trio of Baked Biscuits | 6 Sausage Rolls | Covered Tiered Occasion Cake | Angela Griffin | 3.43 | |
| Anita Rani | ||||||
| Fi Glover |
| No. | Guest host | Signature Challenge | Technical Challenge | Showstopper Challenge | Contestants | Airdate | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sue Perkins | 12 Sandwich Biscuits | Tarte Tatin | 3D Novelty Cake | Bonnie Wright | 4.37 | |
| Johnny Vaughan | |||||||
| Michael Vaughan | |||||||
| Samantha Bond | |||||||
| 2 | Jo Brand | 12 Gingerbread Biscuits | Banoffee Pie | Chocolate Cake | Greg Rutherford | 5.07 | |
| Jane Horrocks | |||||||
| Jason Gardiner | |||||||
| Kirsty Young | |||||||
| 3 | Omid Djalili | Traybake | Iced Ring Doughnuts | Layered Cakes | Emma Freud | 5.02 | |
| Jamelia[235] | |||||||
| Michael Ball | |||||||
| Victoria Pendleton | |||||||
| 4 | Ed Byrne | Pizzas | Eccles Cakes | Tiered Cakes | Alistair McGowan | 4.94 | |
| Doon Mackichan | |||||||
| Helen Skelton | |||||||
| Rochelle Humes |
| No. | Guest host | Signature Challenge | Technical Challenge | Showstopper Challenge | Contestants | Airdate | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mel Giedroyc | Canapés | Paris–Brest | Trophy Cake | David James | 6.03 | |
| Jason Manford | |||||||
| Maddy Hill | |||||||
| Samantha Cameron | |||||||
| 2 | Jennifer Saunders | American Muffins | Football Pie | Tiered Cake | Chris Kamara | 7.44 | |
| Ed Balls | |||||||
| Kimberley Walsh | |||||||
| Victoria Coren Mitchell | |||||||
| 3 | Ed Byrne | Savoury tarts | Chocolate and Beetroot Tray Bake | 3D Biscuits | Geri Horner | 7.12 | |
| Jermaine Jenas | |||||||
| John Simpson | |||||||
| Louise Redknapp | |||||||
| 4 | Sarah Millican | Open-top Pie | Salmon Roulade | Cupcakes | Ade Edmondson | 6.74 | |
| Alison Steadman | |||||||
| Morgana Robinson | |||||||
| Will Young |
| The Great Comic Relief Bake Off | |
| Genre: |
|
| Presenter: | |
| Judges: | |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Num Series: | 2 |
| Num Episodes: | 8 |
| Runtime: | 60 minutes |
| Company: | Love Productions |
| Channel: | BBC Two (2013) BBC One (2015) |
| No. | Signature Challenge | Technical Challenge | Showstopper Challenge | Contestants | Airdate | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shortbread | Custard Slices | Portrait Cake | Jo Brand | 4.17 | |
| Stephen K. Amos | ||||||
| Lorna Watson | ||||||
| Ingrid Oliver | ||||||
| 2 | Iced Biscuits | Bakewell Tart | Gateaux | Warwick Davis | 4.44 | |
| Duncan Bannatyne | ||||||
| Simon Reeve | ||||||
| Andy Akinwolere | ||||||
| 3 | Scones | Chocolate Éclairs | Novelty Cake | Ellie Simmonds | 4.34 | |
| Kirsty Wark | ||||||
| Julia Bradbury | ||||||
| Bob Mortimer | ||||||
| 4 | Chocolate Biscuits | Lemon Meringue Pie | Comic Relief Birthday Cake | Claudia Winkleman | 4.39 | |
| Ed Byrne | ||||||
| Martha Kearney | ||||||
| Helen Glover |
Star Baker
| No. | Guest host | Signature Challenge | Technical Challenge | Showstopper Challenge | Contestants | Airdate | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sue Perkins | Giant Cookie or Biscuit | 12 Mini Fruit Tarts | Tiered Chocolate Cake | Dame Edna Everage | 7.75 | |
| Joanna Lumley | |||||||
| Jennifer Saunders | |||||||
| Lulu | |||||||
| 2 | Mel Giedroyc | 24 cupcakes | 20 profiteroles | Marble "Building" Cake | Jonathan Ross | 8.39 | |
| Zoe Sugg | |||||||
| Gok Wan | |||||||
| Abbey Clancy | |||||||
| 3 | Jo Brand | 24 Shortbread | 6 Mini Pork Pies | Triple-tiered Pavlova | Sarah Brown | 7.92 | |
| David Mitchell | |||||||
| Michael Sheen | |||||||
| Jameela Jamil | |||||||
| 4 | Ed Byrne | Tray Bake | 12 Crumpets | Vegetable Self Portrait Cake | Alexa Chung | 8.21 | |
| Victoria Wood | |||||||
| Chris Moyles | |||||||
| Kayvan Novak |
| The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off | |
| Alt Name: | The Great Celebrity Bake Off For Stand Up to Cancer |
| Genre: |
|
| Presenter: |
|
| Judges: | |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Num Series: | 7 |
| Num Episodes: | 35 |
| Company: | Love Productions |
| Channel: | Channel 4 |
| Last Aired: | present |
| Series | Episodes | Premiere | Finale | Timeslot | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Tuesday 8:00pm | Channel 4 | ||
| 2 | 5 | ||||
| 3 | 5 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | ||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||
| 6 | 5 | Sunday 7:40pm | |||
| 7 | 5 |
| No. | Signature Challenge | Technical Challenge | Showstopper Challenge | Contestants | Airdate | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 cupcakes | 6 Crêpes Suzette | 3D biscuit scene | Roisin Conaty | 5.91 | |
| Martin Kemp | ||||||
| Harry Hill | ||||||
| Bill Turnbull | ||||||
| 2 | 24 scones | Devil's food cake | Self-portrait croquembouches | Nick Hewer | 5.65 | |
| Perri Kiely | ||||||
| Stacey Solomon | ||||||
| Ricky Wilson | ||||||
| 3 | Loaf cake | 8 Tiramisu sandwich biscuits | Meringue towers | Ella Eyre | 5.95 | |
| Ruth Davidson | ||||||
| Jamie Laing | ||||||
| Tim Minchin | ||||||
| 4 | 12 blondies | 6 fruit turnovers | Secret passion cake | Griff Rhys Jones | 5.48 | |
| Joe Lycett | ||||||
| Lee Mack | ||||||
| Melanie Sykes | ||||||
| 5 | 12 muffins | Custard pie | Rainbow dream cake | Aisling Bea | 5.53 | |
| Alan Carr | ||||||
| Kadeena Cox | ||||||
| Teri Hatcher |
| No. | Signature Challenge | Technical Challenge | Showstopper Challenge | Contestants | Airdate | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 brownies | Swiss roll | 3D biscuit scene | John Lithgow | 4.86 | |
| Jon Richardson | ||||||
| Hannah Cockroft | ||||||
| Russell Brand | ||||||
| 2 | Topped flapjacks | 6 cream horns | Meringue scene | James Acaster | 5.30 | |
| Russell Tovey | ||||||
| Rylan Clark-Neal | ||||||
| Michelle Keegan | ||||||
| 3 | Shortbread | Pork pies | Self-portrait cake | Johnny Vegas | 4.48 | |
| Big Narstie / Sandi Toksvig[236] | ||||||
| Katarina Johnson-Thompson | ||||||
| Jess Phillips | ||||||
| 4 | Characterful biscuits | Chocolate Crumpets | Favourite hobby cake | Jeremy Paxman | 4.58 | |
| Joe Wilkinson | ||||||
| Sally Lindsay | ||||||
| Georgia "Toff" Toffolo | ||||||
| 5 | Fruity drizzle cake | Choux pastry swans | Self-portrait towering biscuit | Nicola Adams | 4.60 | |
| Krishnan Guru-Murthy | ||||||
| Greg Wise | ||||||
| Caroline Flack |
| No. | Signature Challenge | Technical Challenge | Showstopper Challenge | Contestants | Airdate | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giant biscuit | Mille-feuille | Choux sculpture | Louis Theroux | 5.00 | |
| Jenny Eclair | ||||||
| Russell Howard | ||||||
| Ovie Soko | ||||||
| 2 | Roulade | 6 Cannoli | Favourite place cake | Patsy Palmer | 5.01 | |
| Richard Dreyfuss | ||||||
| James Buckley | ||||||
| Scarlett Moffatt | ||||||
| 3 | Éclairs | Battenberg cake | Biggest fear cake | Johanna Konta | 5.70 | |
| Tan France | ||||||
| Caroline Quentin | ||||||
| Joel Dommett | ||||||
| 4 | Traybake | Mini Yorkshire puddings | Future aspiration biscuit scene | James Blunt | 6.33 | |
| Alison Hammond | ||||||
| Alex Jones | ||||||
| Joe Sugg | ||||||
| 5 | 12 Sandwich biscuits | 6 Iced buns | 3D Guilty pleasure cake | Kelly Brook | 5.92 | |
| Mo Gilligan | ||||||
| Robert Rinder | ||||||
| Carol Vorderman | ||||||
| No. | Signature Challenge | Technical Challenge | Showstopper Challenge | Contestants | Airdate | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Millionaire Shortbread | 4 Chocolate and raspberry tarts | Pet Peeves cake | Tom Allen | 6.12 | |
| Rob Beckett | ||||||
| Alexandra Burke | ||||||
| Daisy Ridley | ||||||
| 2 | Decorative Fruit tart | 6 Cheese and chive Scones | Spirit animal marble cake | Anne-Marie | 5.83 | |
| David Baddiel | ||||||
| Kelly Holmes | ||||||
| James McAvoy | ||||||
| 3 | Vegetable Traybake | 4 Queen of Puddings | Biscuit selfie of themselves at work | Nick Grimshaw | 5.45 | |
| Philippa Perry | ||||||
| Dizzee Rascal | ||||||
| Reece Shearsmith | ||||||
| 4 | Cocktail Fondant Fancies | Cherry Lattice Pie | 3D Biscuit and Meringue Scene | Stacey Dooley | 5.09 | |
| KSI | ||||||
| Katherine Ryan | ||||||
| Jade Thirlwall | ||||||
| 5 | 8 Choux buns | Chocolate Bucket List Cake | Ade Adepitan | 5.21 | ||
| John Bishop | ||||||
| Nadine Coyle | ||||||
| Anneka Rice |
| No. | Signature Challenge | Technical Challenge | Showstopper Challenge | Contestants | Airdate | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Animal biscuits | 12 Maple and Pecan madeleines | 3D Secret Talent choux sculptures | Clara Amfo | 3.24 | |
| Blake Harrison | ||||||
| Alex Horne | ||||||
| Emma Willis | ||||||
| 2 | Fruit turnovers | 4 Chocolate fondants | Embarrassing moment meringue scene | Yung Filly | 3.42 | |
| Gareth Malone | ||||||
| Ruby Wax | ||||||
| Laura Whitmore | ||||||
| 3 | Stained glass biscuits | 6 Raspberry doughnuts | Before fame novelty cake | Ed Gamble | 3.42 | |
| Example | ||||||
| Matt Lucas | ||||||
| Annie Mac | ||||||
| 4 | Meringue roulades | 18 Lemon and pistachio biscotti | 3D Favourite childhood memory cake | Mo Farah | 2.97 | |
| Katherine Kelly | ||||||
| Ben Miller | ||||||
| Motsi Mabuse | ||||||
| 5 | Marble Cake | Almond and cherry roly-poly | Hero biscuit portrait | Sophie Morgan | 3.78 | |
| Ellie Goulding | ||||||
| Tracy-Ann Oberman | ||||||
| Mawaan Rizwan |
| No. | Signature Challenge | Technical Challenge | Showstopper Challenge | Contestants | Airdate | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Savoury Pie | 6 Macarons | 3D Meringue Celebrity fail Scene | Jesy Nelson | 3.92 | |
| David Schwimmer | ||||||
| Rose Matafeo | ||||||
| Tom Davis | ||||||
| 2 | Sandwich cake | Treacle Tart | Earliest memory choux buns | AJ Odudu | 3.71 | |
| Gemma Collins | ||||||
| Jessica Hynes | ||||||
| Tim Key | ||||||
| 3 | Quiche | 8 Bourbon biscuits | Best day off novelty cake | Adele Roberts | 3.02 | |
| David Morrissey | ||||||
| Tom Daley | ||||||
| Lucy Beaumont | ||||||
| 4 | 12 Jaffa Cakes | 4 Cheese & Onion slices | 3D Biscuit home town scene | Paddy McGuinness | 3.23 | |
| Joe Thomas | ||||||
| Coleen Nolan | ||||||
| Ellie Taylor | ||||||
| 5 | Cheesecake | 4 Hot dog buns | Novelty cake of first celebrity crush | Mike Wozniak | 3.12 | |
| Deborah Meaden | ||||||
| Judi Love | ||||||
| Jay Blades |
| No. | Signature Challenge | Technical Challenge | Showstopper Challenge | Contestants | Airdate | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 Cake pops | Biscuit portrait of Paul and Prue | Jodie Whittaker | 2.96 | ||
| Paloma Faith | ||||||
| Munya Chawawa | ||||||
| Spencer Matthews | ||||||
| 2 | 12 Biscuit people | 9 Fondant fancies | Biggest failure cake | Danny Dyer | 2.92 | |
| Rhod Gilbert | ||||||
| Yinka Bokinni | ||||||
| Leigh Francis | ||||||
| 3 | Arctic Roll | 8 Vegan iced rings | 3D biggest fear meringue scene | David O'Doherty | 2.86 | |
| Oti Mabuse | ||||||
| Gabby Logan | ||||||
| Suzi Ruffell | ||||||
| 4 | 8 Iced buns | Chocolate & Raspberry roulade | Biscuit portrait Celebrity lookalike | Greg James | 2.90 | |
| Dermot O'Leary | ||||||
| Fern Brady | ||||||
| Mel B | ||||||
| 5 | 12 Biscuit bars | 6 Custard slices | Best friend novelty cake | Richard Coles | 3.16 | |
| Sara Cox | ||||||
| Joe Locke | ||||||
| Adam Hills |