I think I’m the only person who still cares about Bake Off

The Great British Bake Off was erstwhile a beloved show, a gem of British television, but I consciousness similar I mightiness beryllium 1 of the fewer radical who is inactive tuning in.

Whenever I’ve expressed the sentiment ‘I emotion Bake Off,’ astir radical respond with ‘I used to emotion Bake Off too.’

And yes, I hold Bake Off was decidedly a overmuch bigger woody backmost successful the day, but it’s inactive a fantastic series.

Although the format of the amusement is the same, and galore elements person arguably improved, viewing figures person dropped, with the amusement falling retired of the taste zeitgeist and becoming a forgotten relic of competitory cooking TV.

In 2023, the amusement had conscionable 8.57 cardinal viewers, the lowest fig successful astir a decade.

In examination – successful 2016, Bake Off was astatine its highest with Candice Brown winning the contention and 14 cardinal viewers tuning successful to ticker the final.

The twelvemonth aft successful 2017, thing unprecedented took spot arsenic the amusement moved from the BBC to Channel 4 and Mary Berry on with the hosts Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc stepped backmost from the series.

Viewing figures took a deed but managed to dilatory crawl backmost up to 11.28 cardinal viewers successful 2020.

Those views, though, person mostly plummeted ever since. And I can’t recognize it.

The format hasn’t changed, the prime of the bakers has improved, and arguably the hosts person adjacent got amended with Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond taking the reigns – and yet viewers don’t care.

So what has gone wrong?

The deficiency of hype astir the amusement is perchance down to a assortment of factors, starting with the prime of bakers.

Some immense endowment comes into the structure each twelvemonth and that has lone improved successful the past fewer seasons, but prime contestants don’t ever make the champion television.

The amusement thrives connected play and immoderate of the iconic moments are usually sensational moments oregon disasters including ‘soggy bottoms’ oregon a large fumble specified arsenic the infamous Baked Alaska incident.

Excellent bakers are large for the show’s prime but mean determination are less bizarre characters. I’m speaking connected behalf of fans, and we usually emotion an underdog who makes large cakes and provides baffling entertainment.

These days, aft weeks of falling successful emotion with the bakers successful the tent, the contestants typically look to slice into oblivion aft the amusement – which besides possibly lowers the stakes for viewers.

During this time, the amusement has spawned assorted spin-offs including The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer, Junior Bake Off, and Bake Off The Professionals.

While these shows are great, it could beryllium argued that, fixed the prime of respective antithetic shows, it’s not astonishing that immoderate fans whitethorn person moved distant from the archetypal towards a much engaging mentation of the aforesaid show. Why wouldn’t you ticker nonrecreational comedians instrumentality connected the challenges and evidently supply funnier entertainment?

With moments from celebrities including James Acaster, Nadine Coyle and the formed of Derry Girls stealing the crown for the funniest moments successful the tent.

James’s reply of, ‘Started making it. Had a breakdown. Bon appetit’ to Paul asking him astir his flapjacks has go a viral Bake Off meme – 1 of the lone ones I tin retrieve successful caller years. 

But each that said, these problems person been astir for immoderate clip – and for me, they genuinely don’t halt the amusement from being utterly fantastic.

The alteration successful hosts was a tricky roadworthy with Sandi Toksvig and Matt Lucas possibly not rather meshing with Noel Fielding’s marque of hosting.

However, Alison Hammond is simply a lukewarm invited to the amusement and has added a amusive much-needed spot of wholesome zaniness that fits with Noel’s style.

The bakers inactive look the aforesaid 3 challenges they ever person – the ‘Signature’, ‘Technical’ and ‘Showstopper’ – and determination are inactive incredible illustrations highlighting definite stunning bakes, which perfectly comparison to the occasionally atrocious offerings from different bakers.

In addition, the accrued prime of contestants really means that the bakes person gotten adjacent much originative and analyzable implicit the years.

The amusement is besides inactive a beauteous level for vulnerability and affectional expression, highlighted this twelvemonth by 1 baker’s unfastened treatment astir babe loss.

Perhaps the existent occupation with Bake Off is that it’s betrayed by its fantastic legacy. The amusement captured the nation’s hearts successful specified a unsocial mode that it tin lone neglect erstwhile compared to its past success.

But I inactive deliberation the amusement is large and, portion determination are surely ways it tin improve, I mostly conscionable anticipation that viewers volition springiness it different spell and spot what they’ve been missing. I for 1 volition beryllium tuning into the last contiguous – and I’ll beryllium connected the borderline of my seat.

Because really, was determination ever thing amended than spending a Tuesday nighttime sitting connected your sofa critiquing someone’s effort astatine a cocoa eclair contempt the information that you tin hardly boil an egg?

The Great British Bake Off airs contiguous astatine 8pm.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a personage story, video oregon pictures get successful interaction with the Metro.co.uk amusement squad by emailing america celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 oregon by visiting our Submit Stuff leafage – we’d emotion to perceive from you.