I must admit, I’m not a great fan of the Great British Bake Off.
I can’t comprehend why millions of people would want to watch a total stranger do something that, if I was that way inclined, I could do myself and reap the rewards (eating what comes out of the oven). It’s true to say that I couldn’t make my cakes look like a doll’s house or a cottage garden but I’m sure they’ll taste basically the same underneath if you slap on a bit of icing, chuck in half a tub of fresh cream and remove everything when you smell burning.
That said, the wide-ranging appeal of a programme that was initially aimed at older viewers is remarkable. Contestants seem to be getting younger and it’s estimated that it has five million regular viewers under the age of 35. It’s not difficult to imagine why Channel 4 has pushed the gravy boat out to secure the rights from next year – that kind of demographic analysis is a gold mine for advertisers and they can now push their baking products in prime slots denied to them when ‘Bake Off’ was the property of the BBC.
The winners are undoubtedly production company Love Productions. They are sitting pretty on the juicy end of a £25million deal but, though indications are that both Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry will move with the programme, co-hosts Mel and Sue will not dessert the BBC. That means that ‘Bake Off” is going to lose some of its unique flavour unless Channel 4 can find a fitting replacement or replacements.
Paddy Power have been quick to price up possible new presenters and you can get £30 worth of free bets with the Dublin firm when you become a new customer via online-betting.me.uk. This will be activated when you place a minimum stake of £10 with minimum odds of 1.50 (1/2) using your new account. When that is done, Paddy Power will give you 3 free bets of £10 each (3 x £10). This offer is only valid for new customers.
Channel 4’s go-to gal Clare Balding is the early 8/1 favourite to be the next presenter of ‘Bake Off’ with Claudia Winkleman, who recent left her job on the BBC’s Film 2016 show, at 12/1 along with Sandi Toksvig. The erudite Ms Toksvig does Fifteen To One for Channel 4 but is also the new presenter of QI so may have some scheduling issues. Richard And Judy are 20/1 while Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford are 25/1.
Next Great British Bake Off Presenter/s Selected Betting
Clare Balding (8/1), Claudia Winkleman, Victoria Coren Mitchell and Sandi Toksvig (12/1), James Martin, Matt Baker and Jo Brand (14/1), Keith Lemon (16/1), Emma Willis, Mylene Klass and Sarah Millican (18/1)
