Adverts cause a stir but Bake Off rises to the challenge in new home

FIONA MCKAY

Presenting team Sandi Toksvig, Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith and Noel Fielding join this season’s bakers, left to right, Chris, Yan, Sophie, Julia, Liam, Tom, Peter, Stacey, James, Kate, Steven and Flo, as the series gets under way for the first time following its move from the BBC to Channel 4.

Contestant Tom tells Noel about his cake creation.

bread and bread board proved to be too dry and too simple for the judges.

The 52-year-old also failed to impress after his coconut cake contained too much baking powder.

He said: “I’m disappointed to be the first off, but it has been a lovely experience throughout. It was quite surreal from day one, and I wouldn’t change any of it for the world.

“No matter how far you go in the series, it’s still great to be part of the show. And it

Baker Peter enjoyed being on the show despite being the first to leave.

doesn’t end for me on week one, as all of the bakers are my friends now, and they are amazing in their own way.

“They are a wonderful bunch of guys and we keep in touch regularly. I will be watching them throughout of course.”

He added: “My daughter Temi always wanted me to apply in previous years, and this year she let me know when the applications were open and really encouraged me to apply.

“Although I am the first baker to leave the

tent it doesn’t mean it’s a bad experience. To be short-listed from such a large list of applications and to be one of the 12 bakers to enter the tent was a huge personal achievement.”

Ms Hunt, has said she would be happy if the programme draws in fewer than half of the viewers the programme had when it went out on BBC One.

She said she would be “absolutely delighted” if the new series was watched by “five, six, seven million”.