10 Reasons The Great British Bake Off Is A Slice Of British Brilliance
Cake, pastry, bread, tarts, biscuits, macarons, and buns, for starters.
The Great British Bake Off is probably the most British show there's ever been. Each season 12 bakers enter a giant bunting-clad tent in the middle of the countryside, and each week they bake through a series of 'signature', 'technical' and 'showstopper' challenges, with the best amateur baker ultimately crowned at a thoroughly British garden party.
Season 6 of the show has ended, leaving the British public emotionally drained. The finale attracting a record audience of more than 13 million, making it the most watched TV show of the year. The show has been a somewhat unexpected success, first appearing on BBC2 before graduating to BBC1 in 2014.
There's now also a spin-off show Extra Slice which gives viewers a baking fix on Fridays, special celebrity Bake Offs have been produced for charities such as Comic Relief or Sport Relief, and children are invited to compete in the Junior Bake Off aired on CBBC.
But what it is about the Great British Bake Off that has captured the hearts of everyone from the ages of 9 through 90?
10. It's So Very British
The setting of TV competitions is usually not a main selling point; there's a rumour that Nick Grimshaw will take his X-Factor boys to his hometown of Oldham during judges houses, and literally no one is bothered. The Bake Off tent is a whole different environment to be in, and one that makes the show.
A huge tent complete with cooking stations, fridges, freezers and ovens is built in the heart of the British countryside each April for filming. It's adorned with bunting and even has vintage style wooden dressers and teacups decorating the back wall. It's something the WI would be proud of, and we love it.
The final of the show is also a thoroughly British affair – contestants invite their family and friends for one final celebration in the form a tea party in the gardens that surround the Bake Off tent.
This season Bake Off was more British than usual; contestants this year differed from the previous seasons – they reflected the multicultural nature of our country. *SPOILER ALERT* Nadiya, who won the competition and our hearts, ensured we knew the real meaning of being British – being humble, self-deprecating, unintentionally funny and a bloody great baker.
Predictably, the Daily Mail attempted to ruin the show with accusations of being 'too politically correct', but the British public didn't take any notice.