Lucas proved a good addition, balancing a tea cup then a rolling pin on his head, singing Roger Whittaker songs and eating a lot of cake. ... This was as good an opening episode as I've seen.

The Great British Bake Off is back, as cheering as we hoped it would be but a little more surreal. ... The 12 contestants are a winning mix. ... [Matt] Lucas replaced Sandi Toksvig, who was wise and kind but also brought a little edginess to proceedings. Lucas seemed, understandably, a tad nervous.

The show is a portal to a gleaming dimension where COVID-19 has been, if not eliminated, then at least contained. ... The bakers this season are a reassuringly familiar mix of established “Bake Off” types. ... The episode culminates in an endearingly bonkers showstopper challenge that, in its utterly harmless way, captures the mind-bending weirdness of the last few months without piercing the joyful “GBBO” bubble.

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.

There’s a lot of personality in the tent and plenty of talent, with first star baker Peter a particular one to watch. A lot will hinge on how the changes to the filming schedule impact the bakers, but for now, viewers look to be in for another entertaining, inspiring, and tempting season of The Great British Baking Show.

As Prue Leith puts it with her usual fresh-from-the-oven homely warmth: “Same old Bake Off. Familiar. Comforting. Lovely.” ... Matt Lucas is an excellent choice to replace Sandi Toksvig, adding a pinch of wit and surrealism to the usual mix of weak puns and painful innuendo. ... Poor old Noel Fielding, still loping around the GBBO tent like a stray lurcher, seems strangely diminished by the arrival of the diminutive Lucas, who out-bants him with a bit too much ease.

Replacing [Sandi Tosvig] with [Matt] Lucas, known for his own cringeworthy style, turns both hosts into a sideshow rather than reassuring emcees. In the first episode, his bits were more distracting than amusing. But the real problem with the season premiere was the showstopper challenge. .... It wasn't a test of baking but of sculpting. .... COVID isn't the reason "Baking" is failing. The flavor of the series is off, and it might never be quite as sweet again.