The Great British Bake Off is a British television baking competition, produced by Love Productions, in which a group of amateur bakers compete against each other in a series of rounds, attempting to impress two judges with their baking skills. One contestant is eliminated in each round, and the winner is selected from the three contestants who reach the final.
The first series of The Great British Bake Off first aired on BBC Two on 17 August 2010. Ten home bakers took part in a bake-off to test their baking skills as they battled to be designated the best amateur baker. Each week the programme bakers participated in three challenges in a particular discipline, with some being eliminated at the end of each episode. The rounds of the competition took place in various locations across the UK following a theme, for example, the episode on puddings took place in Bakewell, bread baking would take place near Sandwich. This first series had a voiceover by Stephen Noonan; for the subsequent series this role was taken by the on-screen presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins. The competition was won by Edd Kimber.
The second series of The Great British Bake Off started 14 August 2011 with twelve amateur bakers. Unlike series one, the competition was held in a single location – the grounds of Valentines Mansion, a 17th-century mansion house in Redbridge. In addition to their on-screen presenting, Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins also took over the narration, which had been done by Stephen Noonan for the previous series. Series two also introduced the "star baker" award for the most impressive performer each week.
The third series of The Great British Bake Off began airing on Tuesday 14 August 2012. The series was filmed at Harptree Court in East Harptree, Somerset.
The American Baking Competition is a reality competition television series that aired on CBS from May 29 to July 10, 2013. It was an adaptation of The Great British Bake Off. The series aimed to find the best amateur baker in the United States. The series was hosted by Jeff Foxworthy and judged by Marcela Valladolid and Paul Hollywood. The competition was won by Brian Emmett.
The fourth series of The Great British Bake Off began airing on 20 August 2013. Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins again presented the show and Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood returned as judges. As with series three, the competition was held at Harptree Court in East Harptree, Somerset.
The fifth series of The Great British Bake Off first aired on 6 August 2014, with twelve contestants. Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins presented the show and Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood returned as judges. Twelve contestants competed in this series, and the competition was held in Welford Park in Berkshire. The series was won by Nancy Birtwhistle, with Luis Troyano and Richard Burr finishing as runners-up.
The sixth series of The Great British Bake Off first aired on 5 August 2015, with twelve contestants competing to be the series 6 winner. Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins presented the show, and Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood returned as judges. The competition was held in the ground of Welford Park, Berkshire for a second year. The series was won by Nadiya Hussain, with Tamal Ray and Ian Cumming finishing as runners-up.
The eighth series of The Great British Bake Off began on 29 August 2017, with this being the first of The Great British Bake Off to be broadcast on Channel 4, after the production company Love Productions moved the show from BBC One. It is the first series for new hosts Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig, and new judge Prue Leith.
The first season of The Great American Baking Show, released under the title The Great Holiday Baking Show, premiered on ABC on November 30, 2015 as part of ABC's holiday programming schedule. Six amateur bakers competed in twelve challenges throughout the competition for the title of America's best holiday baker.
The ninth series of The Great British Bake Off began on 28 August 2018, with this being the second series to be broadcast on Channel 4. The series is presented by Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig, with judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith. This series saw a few changes to the usual format: the first episode being Biscuit Week, the documentary inserts were dropped, and the finale included the competitors doing a technical challenge outside the tent for the first time.
The tenth series of The Great British Bake Off began on 27 August 2019. It was presented by returning hosts Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig, and judged by returning judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith.
The third season of The Great Canadian Baking Show premiered on CBC Television on September 18, 2019. Ten amateur bakers competed over eight weeks of challenges, vying for the title. The season marked the debut of Carolyn Taylor and Aurora Browne, of the Baroness von Sketch Show, as hosts and chef Kyla Kennaley as judge. French-born Canadian chef and pastry expert Bruno Feldeisen returned as judge for a third season.
The second season of The Great Kiwi Bake Off premiered on TVNZ 2 on 3 November 2019 with hosts Hayley Sproull and Madeleine Sami and judges Dean Brettschneider and Sue Fleischl returning for the season. This season saw each episode expanded to ninety-minutes and featured the Signature, Technical, and Showstopper challenges on every episode instead of just the finale like the previous season.
The eleventh series of The Great British Bake Off began on 22 September 2020. It was presented by returning host Noel Fielding and new host Matt Lucas, who replaced Sandi Toksvig, and was judged by returning judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith. The first three episodes were extended to 90 minutes instead of the usual 75 minutes. The bakers were announced on 15 September 2020.
The fourth season of The Great Canadian Baking Show premiered on CBC Television on February 14, 2021. As with previous seasons, ten amateur bakers will compete over eight weeks of challenges, vying for the title. The season marked the debut of Ann Pornel and Alan Shane Lewis as hosts, who replaced Carolyn Taylor and Aurora Browne. Bruno Feldeisen and Kyla Kennaley returned for their fourth and second seasons respectively as judges.
The twelfth series of The Great British Bake Off began airing on 21 September 2021. It is presented by Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas, and judged by returning judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith. The bakers were announced on 14 September 2021.
The thirteenth series of The Great British Bake Off began on 13 September 2022. It is again presented by Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas and judged by Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith. The bakers competing in the series were announced on 2 September 2022. The series was filmed at Welford Park, an estate near Newbury, Berkshire which was previously used for the programme from 2014 to 2019.
The fourteenth series of The Great British Bake Off began on 26 September 2023. In December 2022, Matt Lucas announced his departure from the show after three series as a co-presenter. In March 2023, Alison Hammond was announced as his replacement and joined Noel Fielding as co-host. Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith returned to judge the series. The bakers competing in the series were announced on 18 September 2023.
The fifth season of The Great Kiwi Bake Off return to Parihoa Farm in Muriwai, Auckland. This season premiered on Thursday 25 January 2024 at 7.30pm on TVNZ 1 and streams on TVNZ+. As with the previous season, it was hosted by comedians Pax Assadi and Hayley Sproull, with the judges being Peter Gordon, Jordan Rondel, and - for episode 3 - New Zealand TV chef and restaurateur Michael Van de Elzen.
