The Great British Bake Off returned for its ninth series on Tuesday, drawing an audience of 6.1 million viewers. The first episode featured biscuit week, a departure from the traditional cake week, which caused some upset among fans.
Critics praised the show's return, with Emine Saner of The Guardian calling it "a triumphant return for TV's own form of comfort food." James Jackson of The Times said "Bake Off is streets ahead of all other talent shows," while Michael Hogan of The Daily Telegraph noted that "after a fallow summer's viewing, boy, it feels good to have it back."
The showstopper challenge, which required contestants to create a selfie-portrait out of biscuits, drew criticism. Sean O'Grady of The Independent described the idea as "half-baked," and Saner called it "unusually difficult for a first episode." However, Christopher Stevens of the Daily Mail thought it was a clever device that helped viewers get to know the contestants.
The episode's most talked-about moment involved contestant Dan's biscuit selfie, which featured him holding his baby in a pink blanket. Fellow contestant Kim-Joy asked, "What are you holding?" leading to a moment of innuendo. Paul Hollywood commented, "It looks like a massive prawn," sparking hilarity on social media.
