Channel 4 turns up the heat in Bake Off battle
Corporation agrees to move cookery programme as it blames Channel 4 for targeting same time slot
Channel 4 took the ratings war to the BBC by putting The Great British Bake Off up against the BBC’S own cookery show starring Nadiya Hussain, a former Bake Off winner. The BBC accused it of short-changing the public and chose to back down, rescheduling
‘We don’t, in this instance, see any public value in two public service broadcasters going head to head’
AT ONE time, the height of Great British Bake Off drama involved a melting baked Alaska, a mix-up with a pot of custard or a particularly risqué piece of innuendo.
Those nostalgic days are firmly gone, it seems, as Channel 4 takes a television war to the BBC’S doorstep.
The channel yesterday issued the first shot of the much-anticipated ratings battle over Bake Off, scheduling it directly against the BBC’S own cookery show starring a former GBBO winner.
The BBC, in turn, accused it of shortchanging the public, by cynically deciding to air the show on Tuesdays against the “best interests” of fans.
The corporation has now chosen to back down, rescheduling The Big Family Cooking Showdown, starring former Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain, for Thursdays instead, after its debut in a Tuesday slot.
As the two channels laid out plans for their rival programmes, ITV kept its powder dry until the late afternoon, when it quietly announced a new documentary about Diana, Princess of Wales, to air in the same slot.
As it stands, at 8pm on Tuesday, August 29 viewers of the four main terrestrial channels will be able to choose between Holby City on BBC One, Saving Lives At Sea on BBC Two, Diana: The Day Britain Cried on ITV and The Great British Bake Off on Channel 4.
A spokesman for the BBC said: “Channel 4’s decision to move Bake Off from its long-term traditional Wednesday slot will be a surprise to many viewers who may see this as a cynical move. We never intended for our new cookery show to clash with theirs.
“There is room for both and we don’t, in this instance, see any public value in two public service broadcasters going head to head in this way.
“We will therefore move our show to Thursday in the best interest of viewers to avoid such a clash.”
Channel 4 pointed out that BBC Two had run the series on Tuesdays in Bake Off’s early days, and stood by its decision. A spokesman said: “We made the decision about where to schedule The Great British Bake Off a few months after acquiring it and we haven’t moved it since then.
A BBC source called the explanation “risible”.
For the final series of
Bake Off on the BBC 14.8 million people tuned into the final, making it among the most popular shows in recent times. Anything approaching that figure for Channel 4 would be considered a huge suc- cess. It has promised the show will remain the same, with the familiar tent, challenges and judging process returning. Mary Berry, Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc have departed, replaced by Prue Leith, Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding. The Big Family Cooking Showdown has so far received a lukewarm reception.