The Great British Bake Off series 8
The first Channel 4 series with new hosts and judge.
The eighth series of The Great British Bake Off began on 29 August 2017, marking the programme's first broadcast on Channel 4 after moving from BBC One. It introduced new hosts Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig, along with new judge Prue Leith. Sophie Faldo won the series, with Kate Lyon and Steven Carter-Bailey as runners-up.
Quick Facts
- Series number
- 8
- Episodes
- 10
- Network
- Channel 4
- First aired
- 29 August 2017
- Last aired
- 31 October 2017
Facts from the source article.
Episodes
In the first episode, the signature challenge required bakers to make a cake using fresh fruit with no dried fruit in 2 hours. The technical challenge was to make 12 chocolate mini rolls using Prue Leith's recipe containing peppermint cream in 2 hours. The showstopper was an illusion cake appearing as another object in 4 hours. Tom made a Gilded Pear and Cardamom Cake and placed 7th, with a 'Stack of Books' Cake; Yan made a Windfall Apple Crumble Cake and placed 4th, with a 'Banana-ramen' Cake. In a later episode, the signature challenge was 24 sandwich biscuits in 2 hours 15 minutes. The technical challenge required 12 fortune cookies of two flavours—6 almond and 6 orange—in 2 hours. The showstopper was a biscuit board game at least 40 cm long with eight elements in 3.5 hours. Tom made Coffee and Amaretto Kisses and placed 5th, with a 'Drain Pipes and Ladders' Game; Yan made 'Mrs. Marian's PB 'n' B' Biscuits and placed 1st, with an 'Adventures in Bakeland' Game. Another episode featured 12 teacakes in 2 hours 45 minutes for the signature. The technical challenge was a cottage loaf in 2.5 hours. The showstopper was a multicoloured bread sculpture with at least 3 colours using natural food colouring in 4.5 hours. Kate placed 10th with Blueberry Buns and a 'Kraken' Bread Sculpture; Liam placed 5th with Jamaican Spiced Teacakes and a 'Kneadapolitan' Bread Sculpture; Sophie placed 6th with Tagine Teacakes and a 'Picnic Basket' Bread Sculpture; Stacey placed 1st with Cranberry and Cinnamon Teacakes and an 'Ascot Hat' Bread Sculpture; Steven placed 3rd with Madras Cocktail Teacakes and 'The Bag I Knead' Bread Sculpture; Tom placed 4th with Orange and Cranberry Teacakes and a 'Pink & Yellow Rose Centrepiece' Bread Sculpture; Yan placed 8th with 'Mrs P's' Masala Chai Spiced Teacakes and 'Basil the Vegetarian Dragon with his Pumpkin Hoard' Bread Sculpture.
Specials
Two holiday specials featured four returning contestants each from series 2–7. The first special included Selasi Gbormittah (Series 7), Val Stones (Series 7), Paul Jagger (Series 6), and Beca Lyne-Pirkis (Series 4), with Paul Jagger winning. The second special included Benjamina Ebuehi (Series 7), Rav Bansal (Series 7), Sandy Docherty (Series 6), and Rob Billington (Series 2), with Rav Bansal winning. In the first special, the signature challenge was a Yule Log in 2 hours. The technical challenge was 12 mince pies with lattice tops served with brandy butter in 1.5 hours. The showstopper was 8 snow globe cakes with a sugar glass dome encasing an edible Christmas scene on an entremet in 4 hours. Paul made a Nutty About Christmas Yule Log and placed 1st, with Penguins At Play Snow Globes; Selasi made a Souche de Noel and placed 2nd, with Chocolate Chestnut Wreath Globes; Val made a Black Forest Yule Log and placed 4th, with Memory Lane Snow Globes. In the second special, the signature challenge was 6 snowy Bombe Alaska tarts in 2 hours 15 minutes. The technical challenge was a pistachio Kransekake Christmas tree of twelve concentric rings topped with a star in 2 hours 15 minutes. The showstopper was a magical ice cake with elaborate sugar work creating a winter wonderland scene in 4 hours. Rav made Frosty Ginger Bombe Tarts and placed 1st, with a Frozen Fantasy Cake; Rob made Warming Winter Spiced Apple Alaska Tarts and placed 4th, with a Frozen Mist Cake; Sandy made After Dinner Mint Surprise and placed 2nd, with a Home for Christmas Cake.
Post-show career
Liam Charles became a co-presenter for Bake Off: The Professionals and later co-judge for Junior Bake Off in 2019. He has written two recipe books: Cheeky Treats: 70 Brilliant Bakes and Cakes, and Second Helpings. Sophie Faldo runs Sophie Faldo Cakes and appeared in an episode of Travels with a Goat. Several bakers participated in later holiday specials: Flo Atkins and Liam Charles in The Great Christmas Bake Off 2018; Steven Carter-Bailey won The Great New Year's Bake Off 2018; Tom Hetherington and Yan Tsou in The Great Christmas Bake Off 2019; James Hillery in The Great Christmas Bake Off 2020; Sophie Faldo won The Great Christmas Bake Off 2023.
Ratings
The first episode on Channel 4 had an overnight viewing figure of 6.5 million, the channel's highest since the 2012 Paralympics opening ceremony, but down from 10 million for the previous series on BBC One. The final's overnight figure was 7.7 million (peak 8.9 million), lower than the 14 million for the 2016 BBC One final. Official figures from BARB include HD and Channel 4 +1.
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