From what I’ve seen it looks like most of the bakers use dark colored anodized aluminum tins and baking sheets (Silverwood brand). I’ve heard for specialty bakeware they are allowed to bring and use their own of whatever material they want (I’ve seen silicone for example), but are they required to use the standard bakeware the show provides? I know that regular aluminum and anodized aluminum bake quite differently, and the darker color absorbs a lot more heat. Makes me wonder if that’s one of the reasons the bakers can struggle with over/under baking if they haven’t practiced with the tins they’re using.

The much-loved Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer is set to return to Channel 4 this spring, bringing with it a fresh batch of celebrity bakers, plenty of kitchen chaos, and a brand-new judge. Each episode will see four celebrities take on the Signature, Technical, and Showstopper challenges, with just one contestant being crowned Star Baker at the end of each round.

https://www.jonn.co.uk/2025/01/the-great-celebrity-bake-off-for-stand.html

We did his chocolate cake/brownie class. He’s as great and down to earth as he seems in the show. Makes a technical cake bake look easy. Answered every question about himself and the show eagerly. Highly recommend if you’re a fan!

Is it humorous to the British that the younger children drop or nearly drop stuff out of the fridge nearly every episode?

My wife and I recently discovered Junior bakeoff and we really love the show. We actually never really watched baking shows, but these kids (season 10) are adorable.

We are not from the UK and not living in the UK, we found this show by chance.

But we both really loathe Harry Hill. And I was wondering if it is a cultural difference only.

We love the kids, the judges are delightful, they all seem like very nice people. But I get genuinely annoyed every time Harry opens his mouth.

I love British comedy, grew up on Monty Python, and in general we had a lot of British comedy shows on TV here in my country.

But I just find this guy absolutely unfunny, and after a point, straight up irritating.

Anyone know what viewing figures for junior bake off are???can't seem to find it anywhere and wanna know if it's doing well

Just an appreciation post on collection 5. Doing a rewatch and I'm just blown away by the level of skill in the tent for this collection. Sophie, Steven, Yan, Kate, Julia, Stacy, Liam.... any of them could have won in other seasons. There are some blunders along the way - Sophie struggles with bread, Stacy can be sorta a wildcard, Liam can drop the ball on his bakes... but overall there is just so much talent in the tent. Really good season. And Steven's bread purse still might be my favorite thing ever produced on this show. End rant :)

And Harry Hill is genius, his interaction with the kids makes the show. Not sure why Liam gets JBO as well as Professionals, he's not that great a presenter.

I hesitated to do this , as I didn't want it to become a thread of just slagging bakers and hosts off with unkind language. However, I feel free speech is also important so I'll keep this up unless it gets too unkind. That being said, what are some of your most controversial bake off opinions? Here are some of mine:

1. I actually miss nationally themed weeks.. Ok, I understand the way the nationally themed weeks were a mess. But still, if they could have been tweaked, it gave the judges a good restraint in setting challenges. At least if you do a nationally themed week properly (I understand this wasn't always the case), you are working from recipes that actually are a thing. Having a week of Spanish bakes at least actually gives the judges a set amount of recipes to chose from, but also there are plenty of things that go with that theme. I feel like now they are quitting this all together, they are struggling to find creative themes each week, and the recipes get more and more vague. It's become like "Make something that has nothing to do with caramel but make sure caramel is the centre piece"

Unfortunately, I don't think they have enough ideas without nationally themed weeks.

2: As much as I loved Mel and Sue, now Allison is a co host I'm just as happy with the new cast. The old cast worked well, and after some tweaking the new cast works. I don't feel so nostalgic I can't appreciate the new for what it is.

3: I think there should be a limit to how many handshakes a contestant receives. I'm actually not anti the handshake, I'd go as far to say the handshake has given me some of my favourite bake off moments used in it's right place; but I'm not a fan of a baker being cooed over more than the others, then failing in the final. I feel like if each baker was allocated something reasonable like a limit of 2 handshakes each, Paul would be more restrained in the moments he chooses to give it. I don't want it axed which seems to be the popular opinion, I just want it refined!

4: As much as I LOVED Nadiya, personally as a baker, I find Matty's bake off journey more inspiring to help me get baking. Nadiya's story is indeed inspiring, but for me once she cracked the technicals, she was obviously going to win. She may not have believed in herself, but it wasn't long before everyone else did. So as beautiful as it was to see her conquer her self doubt, seeing someone who's one of the best win, still makes me so aware of how feeble my baking attempts are. But seeing someone like Matty who was never a favourite win through listening to feedback, practice and setting realistic goals for himself is something I can relate to. I may not be brilliant now, but it's possible to really improve with practice. I've never seen an improvement journey as dramatic as Matty's , and that's what personally inspires me.

5- I actually prefer the chemistry between bakers in the latter series. As much as I loved the old series, sometimes I watch back and while the bakers all seem to go on, I just don't feel the chemistry to the same degree I've felt watching the last two series. Yes, there are some exceptions, but I feel like there was also more tense moments in earlier series like bin and custard gate and so on. It seems like the bakers have far less drama between them in more recent series.

So what are some of your most controversial takes? I wonder if anyone shares them?

According to the Bake Off website, they are looking for 9-14 year olds for bake off 2025. If that's not a typo it's interesting, as I always felt that putting teens against nine year olds could be quite brutal at times. I thought going back to 9-12 was going to be a long term thing, but looks like they are changing again. Thoughts on this?

Out of the standard themes across all/most seasons, which one is your favorite and least favorite?

Cake
Biscuits
Bread
Dessert
Pastry
Caramel
Patisserie

Mine is Pastry Week, because I love pies and tarts (both eating and baking)! Unless it involves phyllo, which I find tedious to watch. Least favorite is Biscuit Week because it's always the same gingerbread showstopper but with slightly different dumb requirements (must be x inches tall, must be a chandelier, must be a revolving multi-tiered diorama). My second least favorite is probably Bread Week, as that's when Paul's ego is at its most inflated.

As Junior Bake off starts today, I've started a thread for anyone who watches to discuss the first heat. Just remember though, these are all pre teen bakers, so please refrain from being unkind about the children in any critiques of the baking :)

So I am going to rank every bake off series I've watched (since 2013). From my favourite to least favourite. What does your list look like? 12th place -2013: I actually watched this half way through the series started , so I couldn't really get behind the bakers and root for them the way I do usually. I also find the whole controversy over Ruby , Paul's apparent favourtism over her, and the way she has trashed talked Paul after one of bake off's lowest moments. The fact the other runner up , Kimberly was bullied so much online she also thinks badly of the show just makes this series very sad for me. 11th place -2019: Bakers like Henry, Jamie and Helena with their quirky personalities gave this series the potential to be a good one, but I think this has to go down as the series which has some of the worst judges decisions of all time. Throw in the mix impossible technicals, the questionable way Priya was treated by Paul and Steph's collapse in the final..I just don't find it fun to re watch. 10th place - 2022: A bit like 2019, there were some incredible characters this series , but for some reason I just couldn't get behind them the way I usually do and I don't know why. Despite bakers like Carole being great personalities, I never really got excited for a new episode. I think possibly the amount of no bake challenges with impossible time limits didn't give anyone the chance to show what they were capable of. 9th place -2017: In terms of standard, rounds like the illusion cake first round was almost historic in standard, but I feel like the final was one of the least memorable. Sophie couldn't help not having an emotional personality, but it was hard to be excited for someone who showed me emotion winning. Also the fact Stacy and Kate probably overstayed and then got really trolled online after was not a high point for bake off. 8th place -2018: Again loved the people, a really good standard, and Rahul was so lovely. However,as much as I loved Rahul, it was questionable to me if he should have made the final in the first place. On the basis of the final,he deserved to win, but I question Manon's exit. 7th place -2020: I actually loved this series watching it the first time as it was such a lovely escape during COVID. It also had probably one of the closest finals in bake off history in terms of Dave vs Peter . Lovely people competing, too..Lottie and Rowan being my favourites. I just feel more of a sadness now when I think about how Laura probably over stayed, and then the cost the cyber bullying she got from bake off has had on her. I wish that Hermine had made the final, and Laura hadn't been a casualty of bake off bullying. Also looking back, I don't think the standard was as high as some of the other series, the cake sculpture round proved this 6th place -2021: Sad I have to put this so low as I think this series had the highest standard in bake off history. I mean we had a quarter final where no one really did a bad bake, which can be quite rare! The cast were INCREDIBLE, and we met some bake off legends. It's just the semi final in my mind was the worst semi final in bake off history. It was almost like as no one had put a foot wrong, they were looking for someone to find fault with, and Jürgen was the victim. The more bake off goes on, the more I realise how idiotic his elimination was. I loved Gusiseppe, but Jürgen going out out a dampener on the final for me. 5th place - 2023: I put this series probably higher than it should be as I loved the bakers so much. I feel like it was the most genuine chemistry I ever felt between a group of bakers. Loved Matty, loved his story. He probably inspired me most out of any bake off winner as I could relate to him the most..he wasn't a polished designer, just a good baker. Looking objectively though, the standard of the latter half was not good. The first 3 episodes were really high, and then it seemed like from caramel week on, we had weeks in which it was hard to find anyone who had done well across all 3 challenges. I didn't like the online bullying Tasha and Cristy got ,either. 4th place - 2016: Candace was a worthy winner and made some incredible things , her gingerbread pub was iconic. It was the last BBC bake off, so very nostalgic. The cast of bakers were great (VAL, SELASI!!) , and the final was a really good one. I just feel like looking back that compared to more recent series it was a case of a few really strong bakers, and then a lot who were obviously never going to win. I personally preferred this series where by week 3, everyone was pretty much on the same Level. Great series, though. 3rd place -2014: Probably one of the best cast in bake off history. It was the first time I really bonded with a group, and it was the series that gave me a passion for bake off. Had it not been for bin gate or Richards collapse in the final, it probably would have been my favourite series.

2nd place -2015: I imagine this will be a lot people's favourite series. Obviously Nadiya, her journey, winning speech, and Mary's tears made a stand out, golden age bake off final. The bread lion as well, so many historic moments. I just feel like a bit like 2016, there were so many bakers who stayed a while but were clearly never going to win, and as lovely as the final was, it wasn't close. It was a beautiful series, but I never was on the edge of my seat, guessing what decisions would be made each week. Winner -2024: Ok, call it recency bias, I accept the charge. Still, this had everything I personally want from bake off: Group with great chemistry? Check. Change your mind on who will win throughout the series but have a satisfactory winner? Check. Close final? Check. Incredible bakes? Check. We met bake off legends like Nelly and it was probably the closest I've ever seen a group in overall standard. Even though Dylan's final panic was sad, Georgie's win did make up for it for me.

I imagine many will have a different list to me. What's your list?

I feel like this is GBBO heresy, but Paul really annoys me. I love GBBO so much, from season 1 to now. And over the last few years, I've noticed more and more how insufferable Paul has become.

He's gotten a puffed up ego. I think it stems from him being the only person in the tent that's been there since season 1. I understand that he's a talented baker and there's a level of star status that the bakers get excited about. In the earlier seasons, Mary and Paul were equals as judges and the bakers were equally invested in impressing both of them. Mary stood her ground against Paul when they disagreed and it felt like a collaborative decision. But since he stayed and Prue came in, it seems like he's the only one bakers try to impress and no one cares quite as much what Prue thinks. Prue gets a quick second to say what she thinks (usually after Paul gives his long-winded opinion), but then Paul's opinion is the one that's weighed most when evaluating bakers' performances.

An excellent example of that is the "Hollywood Handshake". Again, I get the excitement for the bakers, it's high praise from a judge, but it hypes up his opinion over Prue's (who is equally talented and qualified as a judge). The Hollywood Handshake is his way of saying that he considers it a perfect bake, but it's gotten to the point where is detracts from the baker and puts the attention back on Paul. (i.e. everyone gasps that Paul gave a handshake; when discussing the bakers performances, "you gave ___ a handshake", "I can't believe I gave out 3 handshakes".) He comes across egotistical and like he sees himself as The Baking God whose word is gospel.

My favorite reaction ever to Paul's brooding is Marshawn Lynch's during Celebrity Holiday Bake Off 2022. (see gif)

TLDR: Paul needs some humility and I'd take some Prue Praise over a Hollywood Handshake any day of the week.

I was bored! And for fun, I wanted to gather some random stats across all the series. Please comment if I missed any or if you have any to add!

SB = Star Baker

Series stats -

• Series 12 is the only season to have all the SB won by the top 4
• Series 14 - All of top 5 were SB at least once
• Series 11 - the most spread SB distribution with the the entire top 7 getting SB at least once
• Up until the 2023 series, no one who got star baker in week 4 went on to win. 2023 and 2024 had 2 years in a row of week 4 star bakers going on to win. 
• Richard S5 has the most SB with 5, followed by Steph S10 with 4. Neither won.
• Syabira S13, Steph S10, Ian S6, Richard S5 tie for most consecutive SB at 3
• Of all the non-finalists, Jurgen has the most SB at 3
• David S10 is the only winner who did not receive a SB
• John S3 is the only winner to have been at the bottom the most times at 3

1st week Star Baker mini-Curse -

• Marie in Series 6 has the lowest rank of contestant who has received the Star Baker the first week then left the next
• Closely followed by Victoria S3 and John S15, both of whom left week 3;
• Mat S6, Tom S7, Stacey S8, Jason S2 also won Star Baker one week then left the following week
• Curse Breaker - Nancy S5 and Peter S11 won first week SB and also won the series

Technical Winner -

• Nadiya S6 is the winner with the most Technical wins at 4 and Matty S14 with the least at none
• All the winners with their technical win counts: Georgie 3, Matty 0, Syabira 3, Guiseppe 3, Peter 3, David 1, Rahul 1, Sophie 2, Candice 1, Nadiya 4, Nancy 3, Frances 1, John 1, Jo 3, Edd 2

For me its Norman followed closely by James funnily enough I don't remember either of the women 🤦🏻‍♀️!

Curious to know if there are any episodes you skip. Bake off is on my Netflix rewatch list and I frequently revisit old seasons but there are a number of episodes I really just can’t watch purely because they piss me off lol.

• Jurgen’s elimination
• Hermine’s elimination
• Helena/Michelle double elimination
• Liam’s elimination (I’m sorry Kate and Stacey were saved too many times)

Does anyone want to do a GBBO challenge? We can pick a season and try all the technical challenges (with a recipe) to improve our baking? Anyone interested to do something like this? I always think it's more fun to do challenges with a buddy :)

Great news, Bake Off fans! 🎉 If you're looking for accessible ways to enjoy both The Great New Year Bake Off and Junior Bake Off, Channel 4 has once again delivered! Here's all the information you need to tune in and share this widely.

🥳 The Great New Year Bake Off (BSL Version)

📅 When: Sunday, 5th January 2025
⏰ Time: 2:55 PM
📺 Where: E4

👩‍🍳 Junior Bake Off (BSL Version)

📅 When: Weekdays starting Tuesday, 7th January 2025
⏰ Time: 7:00 AM
📺 Where: E4

📡 Where to Watch E4

• Freesat: Channel 122
• Freeview: Channel 13
• Sky Glass: Channel 126
• SkyQ: Channel 135 (136 in Scotland)
• Virgin Media: Channel 106

🛠️ I've Made Viewing Details Easier for You!

I've created a helpful guide on Canva, detailing how to view both shows with BSL interpretation and subtitles on E4. Feel free to download it, share it with your friends, and spread the word in your community.

🤝 Help Spread the Word

This is an incredible initiative from Channel 4, continuing their commitment to accessibility for all audiences. We saw this offered last year, and it's amazing to see it return for 2025!

Please let your friends, family, and the national deaf organisations like RNID and Deaf Umbrella know about this! They may appreciate knowing how they can enjoy Bake Off in the most accessible way possible.

Let’s make sure everyone can enjoy the magic of Bake Off this New Year! 🎂 Will you be watching? Let me know in the comments and share how you're spreading the word. 😊

#BakeOff #BSL #Accessibility #GreatNewYearBakeOff #JuniorBakeOff #Channel4 #SpreadTheWord

https://preview.redd.it/jw5x5ykg0lae1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=527b34c05eccd44777d608b88fd5cdccf0260efa

The most recent two seasons are on Netflix but where are the others?

Also I think she gives good feedback.

This is just a Prue fan post.

I decided to make it a fruit bowl so I could leave it out and look at it every day.

She turns around as soon as she hears it and starts making biscuits right along with them.