Fans aren’t tuning into Bake Off but I am (Picture: Channel 4/Love Productions/Mark Bourdillon/PA Wire)
The Great British Bake Off was once a beloved show, a gem of British television, but I feel like I might be one of the few people who is still tuning in.
Whenever I’ve expressed the sentiment ‘I love Bake Off,’ most people respond with ‘I used to love Bake Off too.’
And yes, I agree Bake Off was definitely a much bigger deal back in the day, but it’s still a fantastic series.
Although the format of the show is the same, and many elements have arguably improved, viewing figures have dropped, with the show falling out of the cultural zeitgeist and becoming a forgotten relic of competitive cooking TV.
In 2023, the show had just 8.57 million viewers, the lowest figure in nearly a decade.
In comparison – in 2016, Bake Off was at its peak with Candice Brown winning the competition and 14 million viewers tuning in to watch the final.
The year after in 2017, something unprecedented took place as the show moved from the BBC to Channel 4 and Mary Berry along with the hosts Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc stepped back from the series.
Viewing figures took a hit but managed to slowly crawl back up to 11.28 million viewers in 2020.
Those views, though, have mostly plummeted ever since. And I can’t understand it.
The format hasn’t changed, the quality of the bakers has improved, and arguably the hosts have even got better with Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond taking the reigns – and yet viewers don’t care.
So what has gone wrong?
The series first launched in 2010 (Picture: BBC/Love Productions/Mark Bourdillon)
The show moved from BBC to Channel 4 in 2017 (Picture: Love Productions/BBC/Amanda Searle)
The lack of hype around the show is potentially down to a variety of factors, starting with the quality of bakers.
Some immense talent comes into the tent every year and that has only improved in the past few seasons, but quality contestants don’t always create the best television.
The show thrives on drama and some of the iconic moments are usually sensational moments or disasters including ‘soggy bottoms’ or a major fumble such as the infamous Baked Alaska incident.
Excellent bakers are great for the show’s quality but mean there are fewer bizarre characters. I’m speaking on behalf of fans, and we usually love an underdog who makes great cakes and provides baffling entertainment.
These days, after weeks of falling in love with the bakers in the tent, the contestants typically seem to fade into oblivion after the show – which also perhaps lowers the stakes for viewers.
The 2024 cast is jam-packed with talent (Picture: Channel 4/Love Productions/Mark Bourdillon/PA Wire)
During this time, the show has spawned various 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 be argued that, given the choice of several different shows, it’s …read more
Source:: Metro