A recipe for success? The evolution of The Great British Bake Off- Estelle L
We are all familiar with The Great British Bake Off (GBBO), which has been a staple of British reality TV for 14 years, attracting the best amateur bakers from all over the country. This week, it returned for its 15th season, but after changes in format, hosts, and judges, has the cookie started to crumble?
Although the first season of Bake Off, airing in 2010, may be unfamiliar to some, the show’s household popularity in the early to mid 2010s assures me that many of us remember its origins. With hosts Mel and Sue, and judges Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry, GBBO was an annual BBC delight. The show even produced its own stars, such as Nadiya Hussain, who won season 6 in 2015. But the shows feel somewhat changed in 2017 after its move to Channel 4. Not only did this introduce ads, which, to me took away from the warm, comforting feel of the show, but we also lost the original hosts and Mary Berry. Was this for the worse?
So, after this shift, what stayed the same with Bake Off, and what changed about the show? Despite the differences within the show, the iconic white tent stayed a constant staple, providing location for excellent showstoppers, friendly competition and numerous “Hollywood Handshakes” – when deserved of course. Also notable is the consistency of the shows “Britishness,” with continued focus on tradition, comforting bakes, and a genuine polite and warm atmosphere between contestants and judges alike. While the shift from BBC to Channel 4 and changes in hosts have been a shock to the earl Bake Off feel, there have been many positive changes to the show such as the exciting evolution from simple Victoria sponges and scones to whopping 3D showstopper cakes and artistic challenges for the contestants to face.
After watching the first episode of season 15 this week, I certainly noticed a fresh energy from new host Alison Hammond, paired with 12 new and very excitable bakers promising a heartwarming season with their fierce personalities. On one hand, it did seem like a few contestants were focusing more on banter with the hosts than their bakes, but a range of performances across the 3 challenges by all 12 participants was certainly engaging. Furthermore (and keep in mind that this is a spoiler alert if you are yet to watch!) the judges decided not to eliminate anyone this week, a rare occurrence in GBBO history. So, the first episode has kicked of s15 in a fun and eventful manner, and left us on a cliffhanger for next week with the possibility of two eliminations in the 2nd episode…
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