Half a million fewer viewers tune in for ‘Bake Off ’ finale
THE GREAT British Bake Off finale shed more than half a million viewers compared with last year’s equivalent episode, overnight ratings have shown.
An average of 6.9 million viewers tuned in to watch David Atherton, originally from Whitby, crowned the winner of the Channel 4 series on Tuesday after he fended off competition from Alice Fevronia and Steph Blackwell.
Last year’s finale, which saw Rahul Mandal win, drew an average of 7.5 million viewers in the overnight ratings.
However, despite the drop in average overnight viewers, the programme had the biggest audience watching any TV channel in the 8pm to 9.15pm timeslot with an audience share of 33.2 per cent, and it was the series’ highest-rated episode.
The programme peaked at 7.7 million viewers.
David went into the final as the underdog, while Steph was the bookies’ favourite to win having been named star baker four times throughout the series.
He said: “I saved the best ‘til last, and it’s the best feeling in the world.
“Honestly, it was never in my mind that I thought I could win this. I have had daydreams of winning Bake Off for about 10 years.”
Meanwhile, judge Paul Hollywood and estranged wife Alexandra have agreed to settle their differences over money out of court following a marriage breakdown.
Lawyers yesterday told a judge overseeing the Hollywoods’ cash fight that the pair had agreed to resolve any disagreements privately by going to arbitration. Judge Martin O’Dwyer, who oversaw a private hearing at the Central Family Court in London, welcomed the news.
The judge described the move to arbitration as “sensible”.
Both parties are in their 50s. Neither was at the hearing.
Earlier this year, another judge had signalled the end of their two-decade marriage. Mrs Hollywood filed for divorce on the grounds that the celebrity baker had committed adultery.