The Great British Bake Off facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Great British Bake Off |
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| Genre | Baking Reality |
| Directed by | Andy Devonshire (2010–2012, 2014–) Scott Tankard (2012–2013) |
| Presented by | Mel Giedroyc Sue Perkins Sandi Toksvig Noel Fielding Matt Lucas |
| Judges | Mary Berry Paul Hollywood Prue Leith |
| Theme music composer | Tom Howe |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 13 |
| No. of episodes | 122 (and 32 specials) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Anna Beattie (2010–) Richard McKerrow (2010) Sarah Thomson-Woolley (2016–2017) Kieran Smith (2012) |
| Producer(s) | Samantha Beddoes (2013–2014) Amanda Westwood (2012) |
| Production location(s) | Cotswolds, Scone Palace, Sandwich, Bakewell, Mousehole, Fulham Palace (all 2010) Valentines Mansion (2011) Harptree Court (2012–2013) Welford Park (2014–2019, 2022–) Down Hall (2020–2021) |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Love Productions |
| Distributor | BBC Studios |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC Two (2010–2013) BBC One (2014–2016) Channel 4 (2017–) |
| Picture format | HDTV 1080i |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 17 August 2010 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | The Great British Sewing Bee Bake Off: The Professionals The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice The Great Pottery Throw Down Junior Bake Off |
The Great British Bake Off (also known as Bake Off or GBBO) is a popular British TV show. In this competition, amateur bakers (people who bake for fun, not as a job) show off their skills. They try to impress two judges with their amazing baked goods.
Each week, one baker is eliminated, meaning they leave the show. The best baker among those who reach the final round is chosen as the winner. The show first aired on 17 August 2010. It started on BBC Two and became so popular that it moved to BBC One. Later, it moved to Channel 4.
The first presenters were Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc, with Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood as judges. When the show moved to Channel 4, Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig became the new presenters. Later, Matt Lucas replaced Sandi Toksvig. Today, Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith are the judges.
This show has made many people in the UK and Ireland interested in baking again! Shops have reported selling a lot more baking ingredients and tools. Many people who competed on the show have even started their own baking careers. The show has also won awards and led to other spin-off shows. These include charity specials, Junior Bake Off for younger bakers, An Extra Slice (a show about the main show), and Bake Off: The Professionals for professional pastry chefs. The show is still very popular and has been renewed for more series.
In some countries like the United States and Canada, the show is called The Great British Baking Show because of a trademark issue. The show's format has been sold to many countries around the world, leading to local versions of the competition.
Contents
How the Show Started
Developing the Idea
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The idea for a baking competition came from producer Anna Beattie. She heard about "bake-offs" in America and was also inspired by old-fashioned village baking contests in England. She loved the idea of people just wanting to bake a good cake. However, it took her four years to get any TV channel interested!
In 2009, she pitched the idea to BBC Two, and they liked it. They decided to create the show. The team chose Mary Berry as a judge first, then Paul Hollywood after he auditioned. Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc were asked to host the show.
Making the Show
The show is filmed in large tents decorated with flags, usually in beautiful gardens. This is to make it feel like a classic English village fair. In the first series, they filmed in different places each week. But from the second series onwards, they used just one location for the whole season. Filming usually takes about 12 to 13 weeks, mostly on weekends. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic (series 11), filming was shorter, lasting only six weeks.
Amateur bakers who want to be on the show go through several steps. First, a researcher checks them out. Then, they audition in London, bringing two of their own bakes. After that, they do a screen test and an interview. A second audition involves baking two recipes for the judges on camera. Finally, after a check by a psychologist, 10 to 13 bakers are chosen for the show. Two more bakers are kept as backups in case someone drops out. The show uses animated drawings to show what the bakers plan to create for each challenge. These drawings have been made by artist Tom Hovey since 2010.
Changes in Broadcast and People
The Great British Bake Off first aired on BBC Two on 17 August 2010. It became very popular there. For its fifth series, it moved to BBC One and was the most-watched show in the UK in 2015 and 2016.
After some talks, the production company, Love Productions, decided to move the show to Channel 4 in 2017. However, BBC Studios still owns the rights to show it in other countries. When the show moved, presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins decided not to go with it. Mary Berry also left, but Paul Hollywood stayed. In 2017, Prue Leith joined Paul Hollywood as a judge, and Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig became the new presenters. Sandi Toksvig left in 2020 and was replaced by Matt Lucas.
How the Competition Works
The show eliminates one amateur baker each week to find the best all-around baker. The first series had ten contestants. Most series since then have had twelve or thirteen bakers.
In each episode, bakers face three challenges based on a weekly theme:
- Signature Bake: Bakers make something they are good at, showing off their own style.
- Technical Challenge: Bakers get a recipe with very few instructions and must bake something specific. This tests their baking knowledge without much help.
- Showstopper: This is the final challenge where bakers create a large, impressive bake that looks amazing and tastes delicious.
These three challenges happen over two days, with filming lasting up to 16 hours a day. The judges decide who is the "Star Baker" of the week (the best performer). They also decide who will be eliminated. In the final episode, only three bakers remain, and one is crowned the winner.
For the first series, the show moved to different locations each week. But from the second series onwards, the competition takes place in one specially built tent. The show also shares stories about the bakers and, in earlier series, short videos about the history of baking.
Series Winners
| Series | Episodes | Judges | Presented by | Location | Channel | Originally aired | Winner | Runners-up | UK viewers (millions) |
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| 1 | 6 | Paul Hollywood Mary Berry |
Mel Giedroyc Sue Perkins |
BBC Two | 17 August – 21 September 2010 | Edd Kimber | Miranda Gore Browne Ruth Clemens |
2.77 | |||
| 2 | 8 | Valentines Mansion | 14 August – 4 October 2011 | Joanne Wheatley | Holly Bell Mary-Anne Boermans |
4.00 | |||||
| 3 | 10 | Harptree Court | 14 August – 16 October 2012 | John Whaite | Brendan Lynch James Morton |
5.00 | |||||
| 4 | 10 | 20 August – 22 October 2013 | Frances Quinn | Kimberley Wilson Ruby Tandoh |
7.35 | ||||||
| 5 | 10 | Welford Park | BBC One | 6 August – 8 October 2014 | Nancy Birtwhistle | Luis Troyano Richard Burr |
10.04 | ||||
| 6 | 10 | 5 August – 7 October 2015 | Nadiya Hussain | Ian Cumming Tamal Ray |
12.50 | ||||||
| 7 | 10 | 24 August – 26 October 2016 | Candice Brown | Andrew Smyth Jane Beedle |
13.85 | ||||||
| 8 | 10 | Paul Hollywood Prue Leith |
Noel Fielding Sandi Toksvig |
Channel 4 | 29 August – 31 October 2017 | Sophie Faldo | Kate Lyon Steven Carter-Bailey |
9.29 | |||
| 9 | 10 | 28 August – 30 October 2018 | Rahul Mandal | Kim-Joy Hewlett Ruby Bhogal |
9.66 | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | 27 August – 29 October 2019 | David Atherton | Alice Fevronia Steph Blackwell |
9.64 | ||||||
| 11 | 10 | Noel Fielding Matt Lucas |
Down Hall | 22 September – 24 November 2020 | Peter Sawkins | Laura Adlington Dave Friday |
11.28 | ||||
| 12 | 10 | 21 September – 23 November 2021 | Giuseppe Dell'Anno | Chigs Parmar Crystelle Pereira |
9.56 | ||||||
| 13 | 10 | Welford Park | 13 September – 15 November 2022 | TBA | TBA | TBA | |||||
Unexpected Moments in Baking
Sometimes, things go wrong during the challenges, which can affect the results. Here are some notable incidents:
- Presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins sometimes accidentally got in the way of bakes. For example, Sue leaned on Howard Middleton's English muffins in Series 4. In Series 6, she broke Nadiya Hussain's biscuit lid.
- In Series 2, Robert Billington accidentally dropped his big showstopper cake. The judges and presenters helped him save the bottom part of his cake.
- In Series 3, John Whaite cut his finger badly and couldn't finish his strudel. No one was eliminated that week because of this.
- In Series 4, Deborah Manger accidentally used Howard Middleton's custard. Howard had to use Deborah's custard instead. The judges considered this when scoring their desserts.
- In Series 5, during the Baked Alaska challenge, Diana Beard moved Iain Watters's ice cream from the freezer. It melted, and Iain, frustrated, threw it in the bin. He was then eliminated because he had nothing to present. This caused a lot of discussion among viewers.
- In Series 9, one of Rahul Mandal's glass jars broke due to the heat, scattering glass. The production team had to clear his station and give him extra time to finish.
- In Series 11, Sura Selvarajah accidentally knocked over four of David Friday's pineapple upside down cakes. The judges scored David's cakes based on the two that were still intact.
Charity Specials
Since 2016, there have been special holiday episodes of Bake Off. These usually feature four past bakers competing in challenges with a holiday theme. There are also celebrity charity specials to raise money for Sport Relief, Comic Relief, or Stand Up to Cancer. Famous people compete in these episodes to show off their baking skills for a good cause.
Awards and Popularity
The Great British Bake Off has won many awards. It won a Rose d'Or award in 2012. It has also won several BAFTA TV Awards in 2012, 2013, and 2016. In addition, it won the National Television Award for Skills Challenge Show in 2015, 2016, 2020 and 2021.
The show is very popular around the world. By 2015, it was shown in 196 countries. Its format has also been sold to many countries, meaning they make their own versions of the show. This makes it one of the most successful British TV show formats internationally.
International Versions
The British version of The Great British Bake Off is shown in many countries. In the United States and Canada, it's called The Great British Baking Show. This is because "Bake-Off" is a registered trademark of a company called Pillsbury there.
Many countries have created their own versions of the show, using the same fun competition format. For example, Canada has The Great Canadian Baking Show, and Australia has The Great Australian Bake Off. This shows how much people all over the world love watching amateur bakers create amazing treats!
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See also
In Spanish: The Great British Bake Off para niños
