The Great British Bake Off

Did You Know?

• In Series 2, Robert Billington accidentally dropped his tiered showstopper while applying finishing touches; judges and presenters helped salvage the bottom tier, and he presented it as a single-tiered cake.
• Presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins accidentally interfered with several bakes, including Sue leaning on Howard Middleton's English muffins in Series 4 and breaking Nadiya Hussain's biscuit lid in Series 6.

Background

The idea for the baking competition came from producer Anna Beattie, who got the notion after a friend told her about American bake-offs. She also drew on the charm of traditional English village fête baking contests, explaining that she was drawn to the concept of a simple, old-fashioned competition where the only goal was to produce a good cake. Despite her enthusiasm, no television channel would pick up the idea for four years. In early 2009, Beattie and her team pitched the concept to Janice Hadlow, then head of BBC Two.

Hadlow and commissioning editor Charlotte Moore approved it, and the show was developed over the following six months. The development team chose Mary Berry as the first judge; after an audition, Paul Hollywood was added as the second. Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc were asked to host. To recreate the feel of a village fête, the show is filmed inside marquees decorated with bunting, set in attractive gardens.

During the first season, each episode was shot at a different location, but from the second season onward, a single location has been used for the entire series. Filming typically spans 12 to 13 weeks and takes place on weekends, though series 11 was compressed to six weeks because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Amateur bakers who want to participate first go through an assessment by a researcher, then audition in London with two of their bakes. They also complete a screen test and a producer interview.

A second audition has them bake two recipes for the judges while cameras roll. After a psychological evaluation, between 10 and 13 bakers are chosen, with two alternates ready in case anyone drops out. Animated graphics, created by illustrator Tom Hovey since the show began in 2010, show what each baker plans to make for a given challenge.

Series overview

Series 1 saw ten home bakers compete in a nationwide tour, with the final held at Fulham Palace, London. Mel Giedroyc later indicated that during initial filming she was uncomfortable with how the bakers were treated and contacted her agent to get released, but after a meeting production changes were made and she agreed to stay. The three finalists were Ruth Clemens, Miranda Gore Browne, and Edd Kimber, with Kimber crowned winner on 21 September 2010.

The finalists were Holly Bell, Mary-Anne Boermans, and winner Joanne Wheatley. Series 3 began on 14 August 2012, filmed at Harptree Court in Somerset. The finalists were Brendan Lynch, James Morton, and John Whaite, who won in a surprise result. In the US, series 3 was broadcast as season 5 on PBS and on Netflix as The Great British Baking Show: The Beginnings.

Series 4 started on 20 August 2013 on BBC Two, again filmed at Harptree Court. Frances Quinn won, with Ruby Tandoh and Kimberley Wilson as runners-up. In the US, series 4 was broadcast as season 2 on PBS and on Netflix as Collection 2. Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood returned as judges, and Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc continued as presenters.

Richard Burr received the largest number of star baker designations of any series so far but was beaten by Nancy Birtwhistle in the final.

Reception

When the first series aired, critics were split. Lucy Mangan at The Guardian questioned whether competitive baking could even exist, calling the show humorless. Iain Hollingshead of The Daily Telegraph was harsher, labeling the presenters annoying and judge Paul Hollywood sinister yet uninteresting; he joked that viewers would be so bored they could forgive the cameraman for committing hara-kiri in a pool of egg and flour. Later seasons won over the skeptics.

Andrew Collins of The Guardian declared it the nicest show on television and named it the best program of 2012. Rachel Ward of The Daily Telegraph praised its blend of tempting treats, good humor, and engaging history. Tom Sutcliffe of The Independent said the contest was perfectly baked. Meredith Blake of the Los Angeles Times called it escapist entertainment at its sweetest.

When the show moved to Channel 4 in 2017, most reviews were positive, though some missed the BBC version. Mark Lawson of The Guardian described the Channel 4 edition as exactly the same yet subtly different, adding that only someone determined to hate it could claim the recipe had soured or spoiled. Michael Hogan of The Telegraph noted that while Mary, Mel, and Sue were gone, the show’s formula remained winning, with the four Cs—chemistry, camaraderie, comedy, cakes—all present.

Anna Leszkiewicz of the New Statesman disagreed, arguing that although the format stayed mostly unchanged and the contestants were irresistibly likeable, every alteration made the show worse. In the United States, the program earned a Metacritic score of 88, signaling universal acclaim.

Controversies

In September 2012, production company Love Productions was sanctioned by the BBC for product placement of Smeg fridges after a viewer complained of blatant product promotion. The BBC said Love Productions' loan agreement with Smeg did not meet editorial guidelines and was being revised, and appropriate retrospective hire payments would be made. During the fourth series, allegations arose regarding Paul Hollywood's favouritism toward Ruby Tandoh, resulting in personal attacks against Tandoh including by chef Raymond Blanc who derided her for being thin and at times crying, which he called female tears.

Tandoh defended herself with an article in The Guardian and reflected on the anger and misogyny in online commentary. Both Hollywood and Tandoh denied the accusation. Late in the ninth series, allegations of judges' favouritism toward Rahul Mandal arose among a small group of fans loyal to Kim-Joy, after judges gave Mandal compensatory time to complete his task when a shattered glass jug forced him to stop. Producers awarded Mandal the 15 minutes he lost while his station was cleaned, after which he started his bake again from the beginning.