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Great British Bake Off hosts to quit as network switch causes turmoil

Hosts decline to "follow the dough" after BBC is outbid on its biggest TV show.

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In case you’ve been living under a rock The Great British Bake Off is a phenomenon in the UK, pulling ratings of 13.5m.

And this week producers Love Productions confirmed the show would be moving from the BBC to Channel 4, triggering a huge reaction from UK viewers. Channel 4 is a public broadcaster but includes advertising.

It’s not the first time the BBC has lost a flagship show to another broadcaster with ITV snaring The Voice.

Now hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins have confirmed they will not be following the show to its new home.

“We were very shocked and saddened to learn yesterday evening that Bake Off will be moving from its home,” they both said. “We made no secret of our desire for the show to remain where it was.

“We’ve had the most amazing time on Bake Off, and have loved seeing it rise and rise like a pair of yeasted Latvian baps.

“We’re not going with the dough. We wish all the future bakers every success.”

Earlier this week the BBC also issued a statement:

“Working with Love Productions, we have grown and nurtured the programme over seven series and created the huge hit it is today.

“We made a very strong offer to keep the show but we are a considerable distance apart on the money. The BBC’s resources are not infinite.

“GBBO is a quintessentially BBC programme. We hope Love Productions change their mind so that Bake Off can stay ad free on BBC One.”

Commenting on the new 3 year deal, Richard McKerrow, Love Productions Creative Director said: “We believe we’ve found the perfect new home for Bake Off. It’s a public service, free-to-air broadcaster for whom Love Productions have produced high quality and highly successful programmes for more than a decade.

“It’s tremendously exciting to have found a broadcaster who we know will protect and nurture The Great British Bake Off for many years to come.”

The series airs in Australia on LifeStyle FOOD.

Source: Digital Spy, Hollywood Reporter

6 Responses

  1. It’s reassuring that the BBC still refuses to bow to extortionate producers. (They also passed on Neighbours when Fremantle asked too much). It’s not so reassuring that some producers are still so greedy that they’ll sabotage their own programs for the sake of a short-term cash bonanza.

  2. This is terrible, the show won’t be the same without Mel and Sue, they are the show. I wish they would host the Aussie version as they are what’s missing from it.
    As long as Channel 4 don’t pick up Chris Evans as host, I’ll at least give it a go.

  3. This is such a wonderful show. Blind Freddy can see its the chemistry of the hosts and judges that makes it as special as it it. That Channel 4 paid that sum without having any of the talent signed up beggars belief…

  4. Its not just in reality/music shows that its happening. BBC also lost the exclusive rights to 6 Nations Rugby, the F1, Cricket and so on. Channel 4 is the British equivalent of SBS.

  5. I think that will be the end of the show. Mel and Sue are the soul of the show, the comedy, and the foil to the judges’ pomposity. Love Productions are getting an extra ten million pounds by moving it – Channel 4 will be buying a pig in a poke without the two hosts.

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