Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Is this the end for Bake Off’s soggy bottoms &innuendough?
Show’s new comedy style on Channel 4
THE Great British Bake Off will have a “new tone” on Channel 4, which could spell the end of its innuendos.
A senior show source said hosts Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding do not make any “soggy bottom” jokes in the entire first episode.
The insider said: “With Noel, it’s a slightly more surreal take. So far – episode one – there’s no reference to soggy bottoms. But it’s got a freshness and it feels modern in terms of their comic take on it.
“Noel’s got a big, bright primarycolours imagination and that’s where his gags are mined from.”
Channel 4 reportedly paid £75million for the show, which drew 15 million viewers for BBC1.
And Jay Hunt, C4’s chief creative officer, said she was “quietly confident” about the revamp.
She explained: “We’ve got a new tone to it, it’s got a new comic riff to it. I think that feels modern and future-facing.
“I think it’s a show that people will love, with a Channel 4 spin.”
But she admitted ratings were likely to fall, adding: “I think there will be some decline, which there has been naturally when shows move across from bigger channels.”
Her remarks came after Sue Perkins – who left the show with co-host Mel Giedroyc and judge Mary Berry – admitted she was running out of baking puns.
There have also been reports relationships have soured between the new team – judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood and presenters Fielding and Toksvig.
But Ms Hunt denied this, insisting: “I was in the tent a few weeks ago for the whole day.
“I was struck by completely the opposite. Their chemistry is fantastic, the calibre of the baking is absolutely jaw-dropping.”
A clip, aired as Channel 4 unveiled its annual report, showed a brief glimpse of the line-up in action. As Leith and Hollywood start to discuss who would be ejected from the tent, Toksvig joked: “You could say Noel.” Fielding added: “I’ll go. I’ll go now. I’ll take a hit for the team. It’s been great.” Planting a kiss on Toksvig’s cheek, he added: “See you later, kids.”
The new series is expected to air
this autumn.