It’s that time of year again – a national favourite – when we whisk ourselves away into the world of The Great British Bake Off.
Season 16 returned to our screens on September 2, and we’re once again stepping into the iconic white tent. Bring on the kitchen disaster, cool and colourful outfits – and of course those cheeky innuendos (I’m looking at you Prue Leith).
We saw the return of familiar faces: judges Prue Leith, Paul Hollywood, Alison Hammond, and Noel Fielding were all back for another season.
This year’s line-up of bakers featured the usual eclectic mix with contestants ranging from a hairdresser and a male drag performer to a software engineer and a scientist.
Cake Week kicked things off, and the bakers faced their first set of challenges.
They started creating a patterned Swiss roll and later, pulling off a showstopper in the form of a stunning landscape cake.
The show opened on a rather ridiculous note, thanks to a bizarre performance from the presenters.
Their Jurassic Park-themed sketch sparked strong reactions from viewers online. Some viewers even called for an end to the skits altogether. But it’s not the first time the series has started off with something theatrical.
Within the first few minutes, we saw Prue Leith, Alison Hammond, and Noel Fielding cruising into “Jurassic Bake.”
Noel Fielding asks, “Why is Prue dressed as Colonel Sanders?” and then Prue says in response to Noel that “ have finally achieved my lifetime ambition of cloning a dinosaur with human DNA…” And in case you are wondering how Prue was dressed, she wore a white beard and glasses.”
Prue then said: “Oh no! He’s escaped. Tyranno-Paul-rus Rex.” the ending, Noel is then eaten by the dinosaur.
But not everyone at home found it funny. In fact, many called it ‘cringe.’
One person said, “Sorry I love #GBBO with all my heart but I can’t stand these stupid skits at the beginning!! They get longer and weirder and less funny with every season. I miss Mel and Sue going off and learning about interesting baking origins.”
A second person wrote, “#GBBO Stick to the baking guys. That beginning was excruciatingly cringe.”
“Please can we stop with the stupid intros?! They are so unfunny and cringe. Just crack on with the BAKING! #GBBO,” a third viewer chimed in.
If they spent that creative energy coming up with new twists or more engaging challenges, that would be much more welcome.
Another thing I couldn’t stand was the sheer number of ad breaks. It felt like too much.
For a 90-minute episode, things felt rushed and disjointed, with noticeable cuts to the interactions between judges and bakers.
The baking tasks themselves also leaned a little too technical, especially considering these are amateur bakers. I wouldn’t have been surprised if I got sent home after that!
Also, where are the older contestants this year? The youngest is 23, and the two oldest are 59.
Someone asked on X, “Where are the old people? #GBBO” and I totally agree.
I’ve been watching The Great British Bake Off for years – mostly now out of comfort and habit – but some of the gimmicks they’re using to keep things fresh just aren’t working.
However, the show is still a beloved staple. It’s comforting, fun, and inspiring to see past bakers go on to have amazing careers (like Nadiya Hussain).
It’s also encouraged me to do more baking myself.
The range of different contestants is also what makes the show worth watching.
Despite its flaws, Bake Off is still one of those shows that’ll be around for years – probably – though hopefully it won’t lose sight of what made people fall in love with it in the first place.
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