Junior Bake Off facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Junior Bake Off |
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| Genre | Baking Reality |
| Directed by | Amanda Westwood |
| Presented by | Aaron Craze Sam & Mark Harry Hill |
| Judges | Paul Hollywood Mary Berry James Martin Graham Hornigold Allegra McEvedy Nadiya Hussain Liam Charles Prue Leith Ravneet Gill |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 88 (and 3 specials) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Kieran Smith Anna Beattie |
| Production location(s) | Valentines Mansion (2011) Harptree Court (2013) Welford Park (2015–) |
| Running time | 28 minutes (2011–2016) 60 minutes (2019–) |
| Production company(s) | Love Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBBC (2011–2016) Channel 4 (2019–) |
| Picture format | 1080i |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 31 October 2011 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | The Great British Bake Off |
Junior Bake Off is a fun British TV show. It's a baking competition for young people. Bakers aged 9 to 15 show off their skills. They make amazing cakes, biscuits, bread, and pastries. Everyone competes to become the Junior Bake Off Champion!
This show is a spin-off from The Great British Bake Off. It started in 2011. The company Love Productions makes both shows. Junior Bake Off first aired on CBBC. Four series were shown there until 2016.
Later, the main show moved channels. So, Junior Bake Off also moved to Channel 4 in 2019. Comedian Harry Hill became the presenter. Famous chefs Prue Leith and Liam Charles joined as judges. The show is still on today, with new series coming out.
Contents
How the Baking Competition Works
Each series of Junior Bake Off has 15 episodes. The show has two main challenges. These are the technical challenge and the showstopper challenge. The original The Great British Bake Off has three challenges.
Early Series on CBBC (2011–2016)
The first four series aired on CBBC. Young bakers aged 9 to 12 took part. There were 40 bakers in total. They were split into 10 groups, called heats. Each episode featured four bakers. Only one baker won each episode. The other three bakers were eliminated.
The winners from each heat moved on. They competed in 'Finals Week'. This week had semi-finals and grand finals. These rounds decided the overall champion.
Changes on Channel 4 (2019–Present)
In 2019, the show moved to Channel 4. Some things changed to make it even better.
- Episodes became longer, lasting one hour.
- The number of bakers was cut in half to 20 (or 16 in series 6).
- The age limit for contestants went up. Now, bakers aged 9 to 15 can join.
- Bakers are divided into two groups of 10.
- Five bakers are eliminated from each group over 10 episodes.
- The remaining five bakers from each group join for the finals. This includes quarterfinals, semifinals, and the grand final.
- The 'Star Baker' award was added. Judges give this to their favorite baker in each episode. This award was not part of the CBBC version.
Series Overview
| Series | Eps. | Premiere | Finale | Winner | Finalists | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | 31 October 2011 | 17 November 2011 | Freya Watson | Kai | CBBC |
| Kieran | ||||||
| Saffron | ||||||
| 2 | 15 | 11 November 2013 | 29 November 2013 | Harry | Emma | |
| Ruby | ||||||
| Zainab | ||||||
| 3 | 15 | 2 November 2015 | 20 November 2015 | Amari Koryang | Alyth | |
| Euan | ||||||
| Megan | ||||||
| 4 | 15 | 7 November 2016 | 25 November 2016 | Nikki Lilly | Macy | |
| Tyrese | ||||||
| 5 | 15 | 4 November 2019 | 22 November 2019 | Fin | Aleena | Channel 4 |
| Amal | ||||||
| Eliza | ||||||
| 6 | 15 | 11 January 2021 | 29 January 2021 | Reece | Robbie | |
| Naima | ||||||
| Cece |
Series Highlights
Series 1 (2011)
The very first series of Junior Bake Off started on 31 October 2011. It aired on CBBC.
Series 2 (2013)
The second series began on 11 November 2013, also on CBBC. Chef James Martin joined as a new judge. He replaced Paul Hollywood.
Series 3 (2015)
The third series started on 2 November 2015 on CBBC. Sam Nixon and Mark Rhodes became the new hosts. Chefs Allegra McEvedy and Graham Hornigold took over as judges. They replaced Mary Berry and James Martin.
Series 4 (2016)
The fourth series aired on 7 November 2016 on CBBC. Allegra McEvedy returned as a judge. Nadiya Hussain joined as a new judge. Sam & Mark continued as presenters.
Series 5 (2019)
The fifth series was a big change. It began on 4 November 2019 on Channel 4. Harry Hill presented the show. Prue Leith and Liam Charles were the judges.
Series 6 (2021)
The sixth series of Junior Bake Off started on 11 January 2021. It aired on Channel 4. Ravneet Gill became a new judge. She replaced Prue Leith.
Other Versions Around the World
Junior Bake Off is popular in other countries too. For example, there is a Brazilian version. It is called Junior Bake Off Brasil. This show is broadcast on SBT.
