Critic Reviews

Thanks the lord Mary Berry that literally nothing has changed about the contest's winning formula. ... [A] rosewater-infused layer cake of TV delight. [1 Jul 2016, p.55]

What a perfect show it’s been. Ms. Berry’s authority and, yes, kindness provide an elegant counterweight to Mr. Hollywood’s lad-ish qualities. The Ms. Perkins and Ms. Giedroyc are smartly funny and always supportive of the struggling competitors. The contestants are normal, diverse and inspiring. And highly accomplished.

It's a time-tested recipe, cooked to perfection. [16 Jun 2017, p.53]

This very British series is refreshing in that it's actually about the food; watching a dozen hopefuls bake up trifles while maintaining their dignity turns out to be a delight. [26 Dec 2014/2 Jan 2015, p.113]

The best of current food TV. ... The measurements on GBBS are in metric and Celsius. But there are no conversion tables necessary for the sentiments expressed.

For an airy, refreshing summer diversion, you need no more. What distinguishes the show is how national identity is baked into the concept. It presents a firm, if tongue in cheek, notion of Britishness as something you can feel and taste, but something that is evolving as well.

Regular viewers can expect to encounter all the usual Baking Show elements: a weekly series of challenges focused on different types of baked goods, from cakes to breads to botanically inspired concoctions; competitors who come across, without exception, as likable, decent humans; dashes of humor and encouraging pep talks from hosts Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc, for whom this is also the last season; and that huge wedding tent of a set that appears to have been set up in Lady Mary Crawley’s sprawling backyard.

At the end of a long work week few television diversions look as sweet. And don’t be shocked if you wake up Saturday with a hankering for pancakes--and the confidence that you can make them from scratch.

Very, very decent: That’s the best way to describe The Great British Baking Show.

There is a bit of tentative newness at the start – “Are you a fan of battenberg?” [new co-host Matt Lucas] asks more than one baker, during the battenberg challenge – but he settles in quickly. Soon, it is as if he has always been there. It helps that he and Noel Fielding are friends; their rapport is lovely to watch. ... Although there was an opportunity for a Big Brother-style reinvention, there is no significant change in tone or mood.