These Great British Baking Show Secrets Are Worth the Calories

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The Great British Baking Show is such a cultural staple that contestants now often recreate bakes from previous seasons as a tribute.

In Series 16, contestant Iain Ross decided to honor fellow baker Iain Watters, who famously had to discard his Baked Alaska in Series 5. Watters’ dessert was ruined when Diana Beard accidentally removed his ice cream from the freezer, and Ross chose to recreate it as a tribute.

Recreate it bin and all, that is.

Iain’s bake didn’t impress judge Paul Hollywood in 2025, as the flavors—espresso and dark chocolate—didn’t quite work together.

The 29-year-old software engineer’s impressive vacherin glacé, despite looking strikingly like a “grubby bin that’s been kicked around” according to Prue Leith, was considered good enough to advance him to the quarterfinals. This decision was made in light of his successful raspberry soufflés, which had earned him first place in the technical challenge, suggesting his creation was both visually appealing and structurally sound.

Will this show’s delights never cease!?

Despite facing numerous challenges over its 15-year run – including minor controversies, a switch in television networks, and differing titles and season counts between the U.S. and U.K. – the series remains popular, suggesting it hasn’t suffered from these issues.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve been following ‘The Great British Baking Show’ for years, and the magic of it really comes down to its simple core. They bring together twelve or thirteen home bakers from across the UK – folks who now live in England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland – and challenge them in this adorable, brightly colored tent. It’s all about seeing who can consistently create the most stunning bakes, even when the heat is on – and I mean really on, sometimes it gets scorching in there! Ultimately, it’s the baker who can stay calm and deliver amazing results week after week who takes the crown.

The Great British Baking Show has kept things fresh with new themed weeks and increasingly playful banter from hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond. And in a surprising moment, Paul Hollywood introduced a left-handed handshake for finalist Jasmine Mitchell in series 16 – just when viewers thought they’d seen it all!

The baker, still thrilled, exclaimed, ‘It’s about halfway there!’ and burst into laughter – a sound everyone in the tent had come to expect.

Despite occasional controversial eliminations, what truly sets this reality competition apart is the supportive atmosphere. Contestants genuinely celebrate each other’s successes, offer comfort during failures, and laugh at their own baking mishaps – whether it’s a dense sponge or a poorly risen dough.

And those comfy-cozy vibes are always worth the calories.  

Before we find out who won The Great British Baking Show’s sixteenth season, here are some fun facts and behind-the-scenes details that will give you a deeper appreciation for the show – and maybe even improve your own baking skills!

People in the U.K. know the show as The Great British Bake Off, but in the United States, it’s called The Great British Baking Show. The reason for the name difference is a bit of a mystery.

I always smile when I hear ‘bake-off’ because it instantly reminds me of those classic Pillsbury commercials! Did you know Pillsbury actually created the term? Back in 1949, for their 80th anniversary, they started a contest looking for the best recipes using their flour. It became so popular it turned into the yearly Pillsbury Bake-Off®, and they officially trademarked the name!

Hence, that part of the name was already taken on these shores.

The famous Bake Off tent is located in Berkshire’s Welford Park, in the southeast of England.  

Filming a season with 10 episodes usually takes 12 to 13 weeks. Unlike many reality shows, the contestants don’t live together during the week – they return home to their everyday lives. That means the weekend filming sessions – with signature and technical challenges on Saturday and showstoppers on Sunday – truly are intense, full-day events.

Frances Quinn, winner of The Great British Bake Off season four, shared with Cosmopolitan UK in 2019 that the show completely took over her life. She described it as an incredibly stressful time, explaining that filming involved long days – starting at 5 a.m. and often wrapping up around 8 p.m. – with travel on Fridays and returns late on Sundays. She emphasized it wasn’t just a simple baking competition, but a demanding and all-consuming experience.

Frances remembered that while they remained in town on Saturday nights, even the short shuttle rides to and from the hotel felt tense. She described it as similar to the feeling of heading to and from an exam, with some people elated and others disappointed. Knowing someone was leaving the next day added to the challenge of managing everyone’s feelings.

The show really means it when it calls these bakers the best amateurs in the U.K.—or, at the very least, they’re incredibly dedicated.

The application process is very thorough, and I suspect it’s intentionally challenging to discourage some people,” explained Beca Lyne-Pirkis, a semifinalist from season four. “It asks for details about everything in your past – both your achievements and your mistakes – to get a complete picture of who you are as a person, including your experiences, failures, and successes.

Contestants can’t be professional chefs or bakers, and they also need to have been out of the cooking or baking industry for at least a decade.

I was really surprised when I got a phone call just a day after I sent my email!” Jordan Cox from season five wrote on his blog. The interview lasted around an hour, and “we talked about my baking, what I like to do, and my job. They even checked my baking knowledge, asking me to explain how to make some basic recipes without any preparation.”

Christine Wallace, a contestant from season four, told BBC News that her first audition required her to bake both a sweet and savory item. She made a detailed chocolate cake filled with raspberry mousse and covered in chocolate ganache, along with a quiche featuring smoked salmon and asparagus.

There were also more auditions to go through. Fellow contestant Glen Crosby explained, “We’re not allowed to share the specifics, but one audition involved cooking a particular dish against the clock while judges questioned us about our techniques.”

Like other talent competitions such as The Voice and So You Think You Can Dance, if you don’t succeed this time, there’s always next season to try again.

Nancy Birtwhistle, who won season five of the show, revealed to BBC News that she hadn’t been selected the year before. She didn’t give up, though – she kept practicing and applied again for season five. This time, she was one of the few chosen out of over 16,000 applicants, and made it to the final stage, ‘The Tent’.

In a 2025 essay for The New Yorker, former Great British Baking Show finalist Ruby Tandoh remembered telling producers she’d been waking up in the middle of the night thinking about brioche. She explained that producers were accustomed to contestants being incredibly passionate—some even applied to the show seven, eight, or nine times.

Although everyone knows each episode covers two days, the contestants surprisingly wear the same clothes throughout both days of filming.

When asked about the strange rule, season seven finalist Jane Beedle explained it was simply to maintain consistency, just in case they needed to refer back to it.

In a 2019 interview with the Mirror, she explained that the show is filmed chronologically, meaning episodes are shot in the order they appear on TV. While they don’t refilm the baking segments, they sometimes need to re-record interviews, so contestants are asked to wear the same outfits each day.

Frances explained to Cosmo UK that reality shows need a lot of footage. She said they interview contestants multiple times a day—around eight times—to make sure they capture every possible response and cover all angles of a conversation. They want to have everything covered, so nothing is missed.

She joked about wearing the same uniform for two days straight, explaining that at least they changed the aprons, so they didn’t end up covered in splatters like a Jackson Pollock painting. She thought layering clothes helped a little, but you still had to wear the same outfit on top. It was a tricky situation, and people kept asking if she’d bought multiple copies of everything. She’d always respond by pointing out how much money they were spending on ingredients like butter and eggs instead.

The Great British Baking Show provides bakers with all the essential ingredients they need, like butter, flour, and chocolate. However, it only covers a limited amount of their costs for practicing at home or for bringing in any ingredients of their own.

Frances laughed when thinking about how many ingredients she used to keep on hand for her recipes. She’d become so accustomed to having large amounts of butter and eggs that guests didn’t even notice. She joked that both she and her refrigerator needed a break after filming the show.

Contestants brought a variety of ingredients, from homemade honey and unique spice blends to simple items like bananas. Frances explained that even basic ingredients needed to be perfect – for example, she needed very ripe bananas for a banoffee pie, but the ones delivered with the online order weren’t quite ready. She emphasized the importance of going the extra mile to ensure everything was just right.

Jane told the Mirror she didn’t recall the exact amount the show covered for expenses, but explained that “once you’re filming in the tent, they provide everything – all the ingredients and equipment you’ll need.”

She said you’re free to spend more than the allocated budget, even go all out, but you’ll have to cover any extra costs yourself.

The crew checks the ovens every day before the bakers arrive by test-baking a dozen cakes.

To ensure fairness, every ingredient is carefully tracked. A designated person stands at each baking station with the cake mix, guaranteeing everything goes into the oven simultaneously and can be tested consistently,” explained Georgia May, a food researcher and key behind-the-scenes member of the show, in a 2014 interview with The Observer. “Our priority is making sure everything is completely fair to all the bakers.

She explained that keeping the contestants satisfied is a priority. They’re allowed to request specific product brands, which the show will purchase and then remove all branding from before filming.

Each morning, we have someone at a local supermarket to quickly pick up any ingredients the bakers might need at the last minute. They sometimes get inspired in the middle of the night and decide on a specific ingredient – like figs – to add to their creations.

May recalled a time when a performer requested freeze-dried raspberries, and she had to painstakingly sort through a box of Special K cereal to find them.

And no wonder Frances was so stressed out.

May remembered that last year, Frances Quinn created a spectacular bake with an incredible 150 ingredients. It was so large it completely covered the table. She also recalled a chocolate creation that used a whopping 50 kilograms of chocolate.

It’s amazing how the judges remember their opinions on every single baked item, particularly at the beginning of the competition when there are so many to taste!

Prue Leith explained to TopMob News in 2022 that the judges secretly score each contestant throughout the competition, which helps them make final decisions. She noted that while she and Paul Hollywood arrive at their scores independently, they usually aren’t far apart. If the competition is close and comes down to the final Showstopper challenge, and the judges disagree on who performed better, they’ll review the contestants’ performance from the previous day to help them decide.

Prue explained that the Signature bakes are scored from 1 to 10, but the bakers themselves aren’t told their scores.

Each week, the decision of who leaves the competition usually comes down to how well contestants performed in their last three challenges: the Signature, Technical, and Showstopper. However, Prue Leith explained that if the judges are truly unable to choose between two contestants, and they are equally matched, they’ll look back at their overall performance throughout the entire competition – something they don’t typically do.

Ever feel bad seeing judges sample food and not finish it? Don’t worry! Everything they taste doesn’t end up thrown away.

Jane shared with the Mirror that the show’s crew finishes all the leftover baked goods. Contestants get small samples of each other’s creations brought to the green room for tasting, but it’s just a tiny bit. She joked that if a contestant had a lot of their bake remaining, it meant it probably wasn’t very good.

Are you surprised to learn Mary Berry is kind of a baller?

Now in her nineties, the celebrated baker and original judge of The Great British Baking Show has written over 75 books and appeared on countless TV programs. She even had an amusing experience clubbing in Ibiza when she was in her seventies!

In 2006, she went to Pacha, a nightclub on the island known for its wild parties. As she entered, she noticed they stamped patrons and could even see steam rising from inside. She described it to the Daily Telegraph as a maze of small rooms, each with its own music, bar, and unusual drinks, filled with people smoking or relaxing on the floor.

Mary remembered seeing all kinds of clothes, including very short skirts – some were barely there. The girls stayed close together, wanting to be sure they didn’t miss anything.

She described her initial foray into watching Breaking Bad as a surprisingly easy slip into a captivating obsession. “It’s amazing how quickly you get drawn in—it felt like I was already several episodes in!” she said, recalling watching it while filming The Great British Bake Off. She even admitted it was more exciting than her husband’s favorite, motor racing, though she’d still prefer to watch Downton Abbey.

Oh my gosh, remember Mel and Sue? They were the best hosts ever! I read this interview with Frances, and she said Mel was a total pro at keeping everything tidy, which, honestly, makes so much sense! But Sue… oh, Sue! Apparently, she’d just wander around snacking on ingredients! Frances had to put out little ‘Sue-friendly bowls’ to stop her from grabbing things off the bench! It’s just so them, though – genuinely lovely people. You just wanted to hang out and chat all day, but you also had to, like, actually focus on not burning your caramel! They were just the absolute sweetest, and so funny to be around.

One of the most disappointing events in the history of The Great British Bake Off was its move from the BBC to Channel 4 in September 2016, which led to the departure of judges Mary Berry and Sue Perkins, and host Mel Giedroyc. The BBC tried to keep the show – their most popular program in 2015 – by increasing the licensing fee from $410,000 to $685,000 per hour for 30 hours. However, Channel 4 offered an even higher price – $833,000 per hour, totaling almost $25 million for the entire series – and won the bid.

Despite Channel 4’s intention to maintain the show as it was, Paul Hollywood was the sole remaining original judge.

Mel and Sue announced their departure the day after the new deal was revealed, expressing their shock and sadness. They had previously made it clear they opposed the change.

Nine days after the announcement, Mary Berry stated she would be staying with the BBC and wouldn’t be joining the new show. She described her seven years working on The Great British Bake Off as a wonderful experience, praising the joy and laughter she shared with Paul Hollywood, Mel Giedroyc, and Sue Perkins. Since then, the popular octogenarian has hosted several other programs, including Britain’s Best Home Cook, A Berry Royal Christmas (which featured Kate Middleton and Prince William), and Mary Berry’s Simple Comforts.

Paul said that he was happy to be continuing on as a judge with the show. 

Despite the original cast’s seventh season and two Christmas specials still being about to air, they were all incredibly popular. The season seven finale became the most-watched show in the UK for 2016, attracting 15.9 million viewers. While season eight’s finale on Channel 4 drew 7.7 million a year later, season eleven’s finale proved even more successful, with 9.2 million viewers and a peak of 10.2 million – the channel’s highest-ever overnight audience – demonstrating continued strong interest.

Following their breakup, Paul appeared on The Jonathan Ross Show in 2016 and stated he and Mary would remain friends. He shared they’d spent time together the previous weekend and had a lot of fun. When asked if the split had damaged their bond, he smiled and said he didn’t see how it could. He affectionately described their relationship as a ‘dysfunctional family,’ adding that Mary would always be like a TV mother to him, while Mel and Sue were like sisters.

Paul explained that he and Mary discussed their options, and ultimately, they both made their own decisions about whether to stay or leave. He noted they were all at different stages in their careers. Mary even told him that if she were his age, she would have made the same choice to stay.

Finding someone to take over from Mary was a major event, and people were even placing bets on who it would be. Names like Nigella Lawson and Nadiya Hussain, the winner of season six, were frequently mentioned as potential replacements.

In the end, renowned restaurateur Prue Leith joined Paul as a judge, and Noel Fielding, known for The Mighty Boosh, and Sandi Toksvig, a writer, comedian, and activist, became the new hosts of the show.

Just days before the news came out on March 16, 2017, Prue dismissed suggestions she was being considered for the role as “ridiculous,” but admitted every chef in the country would be interested in the opportunity.

In a 2018 interview with Jonathan Ross, after completing her first season, she admitted she hadn’t initially felt much pressure. She hadn’t fully grasped how beloved the show was at the time. She explained, ‘I just thought it would be a fun thing to do. Then, after a couple of auditions and meeting Paul [indicating Paul], I really wanted the job!’

Oh my gosh, you won’t BELIEVE this! She was so brave, she actually baked a Gugelhupf – you know, the one from Series Five, a signature bake?! – to take to her second audition! But get this, Prue said her husband tasted it and basically told her it had NO chance with Paul Hollywood! Can you imagine?! She didn’t even bring it in the end! It’s just… devastating. She was so close to showing Paul that masterpiece!

Prue had an embarrassing slip-up when she accidentally revealed the winner of season eight on Twitter six hours before the 2017 finale. Noel and Sandi playfully teased her about it the following season.

Prue Leith later admitted on This Morning that the first half hour after realizing her mistake was awful. While in Bhutan, she accidentally congratulated Sophie Faldo on winning The Great British Bake Off prematurely, due to a time zone mix-up, and the message went viral on Twitter. She called it ‘the most idiotic thing in the world’.

She immediately understood her mistake, and then she panicked. She couldn’t figure out how to delete it quickly and felt completely stuck. Finally, she called her reliable assistant for help.

Someone had already removed it quickly and efficiently, but Prue pointed out that she’d done the same thing just 89 seconds earlier, meaning it was already gone.

She felt bad about overshadowing the winner and emailed Sophie, who quickly reassured her, saying, “Don’t be silly, it’s fine.”

Prue said people were surprisingly supportive, and she received many kind messages, even from celebrities who told her they’d likely have made the same mistake.

Season 11 was baked in half the time and at double the temperature.

To make a new season of The Great British Baking Show possible during the 2020 pandemic lockdown, all the contestants and 130 crew members lived in isolation at the Down Hall Hotel & Spa in Essex for six weeks.

Executive producer Richard McKerrow told the Telegraph they created a very detailed set of safety guidelines, working closely with medical staff and health and safety experts. He described it as a massive undertaking – almost as comprehensive as the Bible! The process involved everyone self-isolating for nine days, getting tested for COVID-19 twice, and having meals delivered directly to them.

He explained that the couple received a thoroughly cleaned rental car at their home five days before their trip. They drove straight to the secure environment without making any stops along the way. For 24 hours, they remained in their room while undergoing another COVID test. After that, they were officially allowed in and isolated from others.

Overall, the season felt fairly typical, except for the unusual bubble environment and the finale, which lacked the presence of the finalists’ families and former contestants.

According to Kieran Smith, creative director at Love Productions, the idea behind creating a self-contained environment for the show was to allow the contestants to connect with each other – things like offering a comforting touch or simple encouragement are essential to the spirit of The Great British Bake Off.

If you’re not going to be truly recognized for outstanding work – like getting a Paul Hollywood handshake – what’s the point of even trying?

Our biggest challenge then became figuring out how to relocate everyone. We had bakers with families, which created legal and compliance hurdles. Surprisingly, actually filming the project was the simplest part of the whole process, according to Smith.

Contestants could bring their spouses or children, and if they were the main caregiver for someone, that was taken into consideration. Pets were also allowed, as long as they followed the rules.

Sculptor Marc Elliott, a single father from Cornwall, was joined by his daughters. Meanwhile, Hermine Dossou, a single mother who was studying accounting at the time, brought her son Stephen.

During filming, the production faced a possible shutdown when someone on set showed symptoms that might have been COVID-19. According to Smith, this person contacted the medical team after experiencing those symptoms, as he shared with Radio Times in September.

We had clear procedures in place, and immediately isolated the person who tested positive, along with anyone they’d been near. They were tested right away. We briefly stopped filming for an afternoon, but thankfully the test came back negative, so we were able to continue the next day.

The creative director explained that while they got lucky, things would have to go very wrong for the outcome to be good.

Season 11 wasn’t just different because of the new location. Sandi and Noel, already popular thanks to Noel’s comedy work in The Mighty Boosh, brought a playful and often cheeky sense of humor to the show. But adding actor Matt Lucas, known for his role in Alice in Wonderland, as Noel’s co-host really took the level of silliness to a new high.

Luckily, this change came at the right moment, as some critics thought the show had become predictable after ten seasons.

Being around Matt and Noel in the tent was always a joy,” said Peter Sawkins, winner of season 11. “They were constantly doing unexpected, playful things, and they had a knack for offering just the right amount of encouragement when you needed it – a kind and supportive boost alongside all the fun and silliness.

While staying isolated in their quarantine bubble, Matt organized a bingo night for the bakers. They spent much of their time watching movies and playing soccer to keep themselves entertained.

Smith described the new presenter as feeling relieved to be able to express themselves freely after previously being reserved. He also noted a positive and relaxed environment on set, explaining that most of the cast and crew had been isolating at home and appreciated the chance to simply be normal and have fun. Despite the lengthy shoot, this year felt different and special, and after a week, everyone felt confident they were in a very safe location with no one showing any signs of illness.

Runner-up Laura Adlington had a particularly exciting experience after season 11. She shared on the show An Extra Slice that she received a supportive message from actress Emilia Clarke, known for her role as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones. Clarke wrote, “Laura, my friends and I love you. Thanks for brightening up our lockdown. We hope you win!”

Laura was thrilled after someone called her a ‘baking queen,’ saying it had made her life complete. She also mentioned being friends with Matt Lucas and Emilia Clarke, and felt like she couldn’t ask for anything more.

The incident in 2014 where Iain Watters threw away his partially melted Baked Alaska – meaning he had nothing to present to the judges and was eliminated – was so dramatic it instantly became known as “Bingate!”

A fan tweeted during the August 27, 2014, airing of a TV show, explaining the #justiceforiain trend: “A man on TV made a cake and then threw it away. Best TV in the world.”

A disagreement arose when Diana Beard briefly took Iain’s ice cream out of the freezer – she claimed it was only for about 40 seconds. This led to accusations of sabotage and harsh criticism directed at the 69-year-old contestant. Paul Hollywood tweeted his concern that the situation would upset Mary Berry, and asked for it to stop. Sue Perkins also defended Iain, explaining that 40 seconds at room temperature wouldn’t be enough to completely melt the ice cream.

After Diana suddenly left the show the next week because she was sick, the BBC had to publicly state that no foul play was involved and that her departure wasn’t related to Iain’s ice cream incident.

Iain expressed sympathy for Diana, saying she’d received a lot of harsh criticism on Twitter, and he didn’t appreciate the mean comments. Speaking to The Guardian shortly after Diana left, he added that he felt the situation was unfair and the show’s editors could have handled the episode differently.

He also insisted his ice cream was out of the freezer for awhile.

He admitted he never questioned her about what happened. According to those running The Great British Bake Off, the item had only been left out of the refrigerator for a minute, but he believed it must have been much longer for it to melt so completely.

Oh my gosh, he told me about that day! Apparently, they only had three freezers working – two had broken down! And the best part? He’d hidden his dessert in a totally different freezer than the one he used earlier that morning. Can you believe it? It’s just… perfection. I replay that detail in my head constantly.

The construction engineer explained, “I didn’t think anyone would touch it. I was really angry, but mostly I was frustrated because I’d spent the last hour carefully preparing everything and had all the parts ready. It was upsetting to see it gone. If it hadn’t been taken out of the freezer, it wouldn’t have been damaged.”

Many of the other bakers believed nobody deserved to be eliminated, arguing the issue wasn’t the baker’s fault. However, Paul reminded them that the baker ultimately didn’t produce a finished product.

Iain stated he didn’t regret discarding the item. “I’d do it again,” he said. “I wasn’t going to serve something that wasn’t up to standard. I’m not overly fussy, but I do like things to come out the way I envision them.”

As a longtime fan, I can tell you that the reaction to Bake Off on what’s now X (formerly Twitter) is always pretty dramatic. Honestly, when viewers feel the wrong baker gets eliminated, the upset is genuinely intense – people really feel it!

Season 10 saw strong reactions from viewers to a couple of eliminations. Many were surprised when Dan Chambers was eliminated instead of Jamie Finn in the first week, and there was further online outrage when Hermine was eliminated over Laura in the semi-finals.

One viewer expressed extreme disappointment online, tweeting that Hermine’s departure from the show remained the most shocking moment of 2020. They praised her baking skills, saying even a talented baker like Laura couldn’t have created such a masterpiece, and used colorful language to emphasize their point. #bakeoff #2020 #GBBO

Oh my gosh, you won’t BELIEVE what happened with John! He actually CUT himself with the food processor blade – I was SO worried! They had to take him out of the tent, but thankfully he was allowed to come back, and honestly, it just made him even MORE determined. He absolutely stormed back and won! It was incredible, seriously. John is a legend!

Which, ultimately, was a bittersweet victory.

John once admitted that appearing on the show was a mistake, as it disrupted his plans for a stable career. After gaining brief fame, he left his job at the Royal Bank of Scotland, but the attention didn’t last. He ended up feeling lost and struggling with depression and alcohol, comparing himself to a teenager anxiously awaiting a phone call from a love interest, as he wrote in a 2019 essay for The Telegraph.

Looking back on his own experience with sudden fame, he said the recent struggles of reality TV stars suggest a real need to better prepare people for life after the show. However, he doubts even that would have helped him, admitting he was naturally drawn to the excitement and glamour when he was younger.

John trained at Le Cordon Bleu, earning a diploma in pastry, and has published multiple cookbooks. He also ran his cooking school, John Whaite Kitchen, until 2021.

He briefly tried content creation on OnlyFans in 2025, but decided to dedicate his time to his businesses, Ruff Puff Bakehouse and Ruff Puff Brownies, which he started with his husband, Paul Atkins.

The bakers from the Great British Baking Show often form lasting friendships. Several contestants from season five – including winner Nancy, Richard Burr, Claire Goodwin, and Chetna Makan – showed up to celebrate Martha Collison’s wedding in 2019, and they even brought incredible cakes! Kate Henry, Enwezor Nzegwu, and Diana and Iain (who are still together!) were also there.

The show airs on Tuesdays on Channel 4 in the U.K., but if you’re in the U.S., new episodes become available on Netflix on Fridays – perfect if you want to save watching until then!

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2025-11-04 18:21