Liking the new Bake Off would be disloyal to Mary
The abrupt defection of The Great British
Bake Off from BBC One to Channel 4 was like a showstopper wobbling off its plinth. A perfect confection of entertainment ruined for millions by unpalatable greed and disloyalty. It left a bitter taste in the mouth.
The newly incarnated Bake
Off began last night without hosts Sue Perkins, Mel Giedroyc and Mary “Queen of Tarts” Berry. I admit I
approached the show with all the receptivity of a teenager meeting Dad’s new girlfriend for the first time. No matter how charming it was, I was damned if I’d like it – it would be disloyal to Mary!
The bornagain Bake Off does its best to seem as much like the first wife as possible. The marquee and workbenches are identical, Paul Hollywood is Paul Hollywood (he fancies himself too much) and Sandi Toksvig does a good
impersonation of Sue Perkins.
Noel Fielding is another matter – at the moment, he looks like a mildly stoned man at the theatre who went to the loo and walked onto the stage by mistake. Prue Leith, however, is a strong flavour with real depth and bite. It’s not her fault there is no Paul-and-mary chemistry going on. Those kind of relationships take time. But will Bake Off fans stick around to see if it rises?