10 Exceedingly Good Great British Bake Off Facts

For those who are unfamiliar with The Great British Bake Off, it’s basically a baking show where two professional bakers judge amateur bakers, offering signature, technical and showstopper challenges.

Throw into that the comedy genius of presenters Mel and Sue and, well, you have some TV gold. It’s quintessentially British and makes us folk feel every so patriotic.

For those who love a bit of Bake Off on a Wednesday, we think it’s time you checked out the following 10 facts about the baking show.

1. The GBBO Bakers Selection

image via www.theguardian.com

Ever wondered how the amateur bakers are chosen for The Great British Bake Off? Well wonder no more! All applicants are assessed by a researcher, and successful candidates will attend an audition in London with two bakes and will undertake a screen test and an interview with the show’s producer.

That’s not all. Those lucky enough to make it through the audition will attend a second audition, baking two recipes for the legend that is Mary Berry and housewives’ favourite Paul Hollywood in front of the cameras. 12 contestants are then selected for the show.

2. The First Great British Bake Off

image via thetalentzone.co.uk

The location, cast and crew had to move from town-to-town during the first season of Bake Off. From the second season, the show has been set in a one location and a specially-constructed marquee is erected.

3. The Women’s Institute

image via shows.stv.tv

It seems as though the whole of Great Britain has fallen in love with baking since The Great British Bake Off started in 2010, and the show has been credited with reviving the Women’s Institute – as membership reached its highest level since the 1970s. We just can’t get enough of baking, apparently, as there has also been an increase in sales for bakery books and baking club memberships.

Analysts have also reported that more than three fifths of all UK adults have baked at home on at least one occasion in 2013.

4. Bake Off Product Placement

image via www.dailymail.co.uk

The Great British Bake Off is a family show, right? Well that doesn’t mean it can’t get into a spot of bother every once in a while. Love Productions, the production company behind GBBO, was sanctioned by the BBC in September 2012 for the production placement of Smeg fridges. One viewer complained to the Radio Times of “blatant product promotion”, leading to an investigation.

The BBC found the company’s loan agreement with the fridge manufacturer failed to meet editorial guidelines and so the loan agreement was revised for the third series. Soon after, the BBC instructedd Smeg to remove its association with the show from the website – which it has done.

5. The Great British Bake Off Innuendos

image via www.theguardian.com

The Great British Bake Off is dirty. Real dirty. Okay, it isn’t really, but many viewers seem to think it is. Some viewers have complained about Mel and Sue’s innuendos throughout the series, claiming the fifth series had “constant smutty remarks”. The Daily Mail even went onto argue that the innuendos resulted in the show not being fit for family entertainment – which is a bit extreme.

Judge Paul Hollywood, however, stated the innuendos are all in the spirit of Carry On films, which are a firm part of British culture. We think he’s right, too!

6. International GBBO Versions

image via www.independent.co.uk

The Great British Bake Off is adored so much by the public that the format has been sold to 20 territories as of 2015. US viewers will know the show as The American Baking Competition. In Italy it’s known as Bake Off Italia, whilst those friendly Australians call it The Great Australian Bake Off. Have they got Mary Berry’s snazzy jackets, though? We think not.

7. The Oven Warm-Ups

image via www.independent.co.uk

Those ovens have to be in peak condition before the start of the show, don’t they? The last thing you want is a bad bake because the oven failed to work properly. To ensure they’re in tip-top condition for contestants, 12 Victoria spongers are cooked in each oven.

8. The Great British Bake Off Dishes

image via www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

All that baking is bound to create a huge stack of dishes. It’s a good job that Iva Vclak, the champion washer-upper, is on hand to wash them, then! All of the dishes are washed by her hands, and she reportedly uses 1,000 cloths and 30 litres of washing-up liquid in one season.

9. GBBO Eggs

image via www.bbc.co.uk

You can’t bake a cake without breaking a few eggs. Well, a lot more than a few are used during the show. How many? 1,400.

10. Mel & Sue

image via www.radiotimes.com

Mel and Sue are the first ones to lend a helping tongue when it comes to trying bakes, often sneaking ingredients off a bench as the contestants bake. It’s no wonder they reportedly put on an average of 10lb during the series.