Trouble ahead for the GBBO?

Two recent announcements have shaken the foundations of Britain’s most popular television program. The first announcement was that the Great British Bake Off (GBBO) was moving from the public-service BBC to commercial station Channel 4. If that wasn’t enough drama, two of the show’s hosts – Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc – said they were not going to follow the program to its new channel. 

The production company behind the show, Love Productions, opted to go for a big payout with the move to Channel 4, garnering an estimated 25 million GBP for the franchise. A BBC spokesperson had told The Telegraph that it had lost GBBO after a “catastrophic breakdown” in its relationship with Love Productions. The move stunned the nation as tabloid headlines made the announcement with headlines such as “Bake Off gets poached”. 

Uncertainty swirls around the show’s other popular hosts, Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, who have often commented on how the GBBO’s success depends in part on the team effort of the hosts. Mary Berry’s husband hinted that Berry may not make the move to Channel 4. Both Berry and Hollywood are involved with other programs with the BBC and reportedly wanted GBBO to remain there. 

All of this upheaval is raising concerns that the show will go the way of another popular BBC program, Top Gear. Following some controversial comments by one of its hosts and additional drama, all three Top Gear stars quit the program and the new season, which relied on replacement hosts, was a distaster. If Berry and Hollywood also choose to leave GBBO, the show’s future is in serious doubt. We may have to wait until 2018 to find out, as Channel 4 may not be able to air a full series in 2017 due to a clause in the current contract between Love Productions and the BBC.