The Great British Bake Off made its much-anticipated return to screens last night, drawing 6.5 million viewers for its first episode on Channel 4. While the show's bosses expressed delight at the audience figures, the debut marked a decline compared to previous series, with the 2016 opener attracting 10.4 million viewers on BBC One.
New presenters Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig, alongside judge Prue Leith, faced mixed reactions from fans. Fielding's voiceover narration drew particular criticism, with some viewers comparing it to a 1950s BBC presenter or CBeebies. However, others praised the comedian's performance, with one fan tweeting: 'Noel Fielding is brilliant. I think I actually love him.'
Judge Paul Hollywood, the sole remaining member of the original team, appeared noticeably warmer in the episode, leading some viewers to accuse him of being too 'nice'. The show's trademark innuendos and banter were welcomed, but many fans expressed frustration over the frequency of advert breaks, feeling they disrupted the flow of the programme.
Despite the mixed reviews, Channel 4 celebrated the episode as its highest-rated programme since the 2012 Paralympic opening ceremony. The network will be hoping to build on this momentum as the series progresses, with Hollywood previously stating that eight million viewers would be considered a 'slump' requiring change.
