UK Edition
Review
The Great British Bake Off, review: in its new home, episode 1 rose to the challenge
On your marks. Get set. Remake! The £75m question with The Great British Bake Off (Channel 4) and its much-lamented move to a new broadcaster was whether the marquee magic would remain intact. A nation had their fingers firmly crossed.
Well, they needn’t have worried. Despite losing three-quarters of its stars when it “followed the dough” away from the BBC, Bake Off still tastes as sweet.
The opening episode was the same flavoursome confection, lent added spice by one new recruit in particular. Presenting duo Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding arrived in a hot-air balloon and struck up instant rapport. Fielding stole the show with his impish wit, even eating a marigold in one surreal sequence.
The giddiness seemed infectious. Judge Paul Hollywood, the only one of the show’s four founding figureheads to make the switch (as Fielding told the bakers: “We’re all newbies here, apart from Ol’ Blue Eyes”) issued not one but two of his coveted “Hollywood handshakes”. At his side, where Mary Berry once stood, was Prue Leith, who fulfilled her vow to be “firm but fair”.
The other ingredients, reassuringly, remained the same. The white marquee was still pitched in the grounds of Welford Park. Bakers battled it out over the three familiar rounds. The running time was extended to 75 minutes to allow for ad breaks, so we still got a full hour of in-tent action.
Despite the departure of pun-flinging pair Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, the innuendo count remained high. “Exposed bottoms” replaced soggy ones, while one baker grappled with an unfortunate phallic creation.
The contest kicked off, as always, with Cake Week. First came the task of making a family-sized fruitcake for the Signature Bake round. There was tension, tears and one nervous hopeful forgot to turn her oven on. Next up, Leith set her debut Technical challenge: a dozen chocolate mini-rolls. Trembling fingers and fiddly assembly proved a messy combination.
Finally came the Showstopper round of an “illusion cake”. Cunning designs and clever construction led to some simply stunning results: a watermelon, a champagne bottle in an ice bucket and a bowl of ramen were just a few of the bakes that deceived the eye. The standard of this year’s field looks like its highest yet. Steven, from Watford, won Star Baker and already seems to be a strong contender for the title. Out-of-his-depth Peter from Southend got the wooden spoon and was sent home.
And what a relief: 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.