The Great British Bake Off made its return to screens on Tuesday with a fresh batch of amateur bakers vying for the baking crown.
The Channel 4 stalwart was one of a few programmes that went ahead as scheduled as the nation entered a period of national mourning following the Queen’s death.
Broadcasters such as BBC and ITV had suspended their schedules to provide blanket coverage of royal events, while the launch of Strictly Come Dancing and the National Television Awards have been postponed.
Although many were looking forward to its premiere, GBBO’s opening episode saw a slump in viewing figures as just 4.4million people tuned in, a 1.3million drop compared to last year’s viewership of 5.7million the same episode.
A spokesperson for Channel 4 told Metro: “I have checked and Bake Off attracted an average audience of 4.4 million viewers last night on Channel 4, with a peak of 5.2 million viewers.
“It was the most watched channel on TV last night in the time slot (8-9.30pm) across all audiences.”
The Evening Standard has contacted Channel 4 for comment.
On Tuesday, former charity director Will became the first contestant to be given the boot from the new series during cake week.
The opening episode of the Channel 4 show saw the 12 contestants tasked with baking 12 signature mini sandwich cakes, a classic red velvet technical and a home-inspired showstopper.
Will, 45, from London, became the first to leave the series after failing to impress judges Paul Hollywood and Dame Prue Leith with his ginger and caramel square signature and his final bake which recreated his former north London flat.
We’re so sad to see you go Will - but it’s a huge achievement to make it into the Bake Off Tent and you did yourself proud. ❤️ #GBBO pic.twitter.com/siHY7WvP4P
— British Bake Off (@BritishBakeOff) September 13, 2022
Following his exit, he said: “Someone’s got to go first and obviously I’m disappointed but I’m proud to have made it.
“There’s a lovely bunch of people I’ve met and I’ve got an experience that I can definitely talk about and share. I’m proud of that.”
While Janusz from Brighton, 34, was the first to be awarded the coveted star baker title after impressing the judges with his Polish-inspired mini cakes and his extravagantly decorated showstopper of his mother’s flat and its colourful floral balcony.
After winning he said that receiving the title for cake week meant “everything to him”.
