The Great British Baking Show (or Great British Bake Off) has to be one of the most comfortable and healthy reality TV competitions out there. Each episode features a friendly group of amateur bakers who go out of their way to try baking challenges in the beautiful English countryside. Over the years there have been three professional judges including Mary Berry, Prue Leith and celebrity chef Paul Hollywood as a constant staple. In addition to two professional judges on each episode, the show is hosted by two comedians, who also alternate every few seasons. Comedians are there to ease the fear of the contestants and bring comedic relief, and the current hosts are Matt Lucas (of Little Britain) and Noel Fielding (of The Mighty Boosh).
In addition to Paul’s scathing criticism, the light atmosphere on The Great British Baking Show will definitely leave you relaxed and craving for cake. While each season of this series has its own charm, some series contain more talent and laughter than others. Based on the best showstopping bakes, bakers and hosts, here are the best seasons of it The Great British Baking Showarranged.
9/9 Season one
.jpg)
While The Great British Baking Show may now seem like the perfect mix of competition and comedy, it wasn’t always that way. The pilot and first season were judged by regular Paul Hollywood and professional chef and baker Mary Berry with comic book hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins. Instead of playing in one location, the match moved to different parts of the UK for each episode.
The bakers were presented with three specific baking challenges, similar to the series we know today. While season one was still healthy TV competition, the kinks in the series hadn’t worked out yet. Edd Kimber won the first series and was the first contestant to win The Great British Baking Show.
8/9 Season three
.jpg)
By season three, the production team had realized that one of the draws of this series was its comedic relief. Hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins kept popping up with their humorous comments, but there are also quite a few funny bakers this time around.
The main standout for this season was the three finalists Brendan, James and John, who presented some breathtaking showstoppers and some hair-raising mistakes. Unlike the show’s first season, the third season was set in one location at Harptree Court in East Harptree, Somerset.
7/9 Season seven
.jpg)
One of the The Great British Baking ShowThe best features are that the participants of each season bind, support and help each other. In American TV competition shows, tensions between contestants are usually ramped up for dramatic purposes, resulting in quite heated interactions. However, you rarely see arguments or enemies in this series. Season seven, in particular, brought this home with contestants patting each other on the back more than ever.
Season seven was the last season of Mary Berry Bake. This season is bittersweet because Berry brought humor and charm to the bakery. The season also saw some pretty spectacular baking with contestant Candice Brown taking home the win.
6/9 Season Five
.jpg)
Although drama on The Great British Baking Show rare, season five showed glimpses of some contestants who were particularly dramatic and competitive. In episode four, contestant Iain completely collapses during an ice cream cake challenge. While meltdowns are common for other reality TV shows, it was such a shock to this series that it made headlines.
Simply put, Iain initially blamed fellow contestant Diana Beard for his ice cream cake melting because Beard briefly took Iain’s ice cream cake out of the freezer. By short we mean less than a minute. Iain’s collapse and elimination was controversial and this season certainly ensured a memorable one. While there are some great bakes in season five, this time around, big personalities definitely dominated the series.
5/9 season eight
After seven seasons with two permanent judges and comedians, it was time for a renovation. In season eight, Prue Leith replaces Mary Berry as judge, and IT people‘s Noel Fielding and British comedian and presenter Sandi Toksvig take over as presenters. The changes could have caused some backlash and criticism, but the new additions helped the series feel fresh again.
Noel and Sandi are an entertaining duo and Prue Leith brings a light-hearted friendliness to the show that the series didn’t have before. Like every season, audiences have favorites, and drama student Liam Charles was one of them. Due to Charles’ popularity and outrage over his elimination, Charles went on to host Bake Off: the professionals and will be judged in 2022 The Platinum Pudding Competition.
4/9 Season eleven
.jpg)
Season 11 sees legendary comedian Matt Lucas replace Sandi Toksvig as host. Noel and Matt are a hilarious couple and also make some great digs in Paul Hollywood. This season was special because of production during COVID-19, with all host, judges and contestants isolated together at the filming location.
Like other seasons, this one featured some unique personalities, such as Lottie and Linda. This round of the competition also found the baking show’s youngest winner, accounting and finance student Peter Sawkins, at age 20.
3/9 Season Twelve
Every season hosted by Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding deserves to be on this list. Lucas and Fielding, who already co-hosted in Season 11, have perfected their comedic chemistry in this season. In addition to these two comedians snaring Paul and Prue in their outlandish skits, there are also some fierce, excellent bakers in this round of the competition. Two of the stars are physicist Jurgen Krauss and engineer Guiseppe Dell’Anno.
Many of Season 12’s bakes are visually outstanding and Crystelle’s bakes draw attention for their beautiful piping. This was one of the best seasons of Bake not just because of its unique comedic bits, but because it really leaned towards the cooking show element and featured some amazing confectioneries that viewers loved to try at home.
2/9 Season six
.jpg)
While some seasons stand out for their comedy and drama, season six makes this list because of the sheer amount of talent showcased in this round of the competition. Each episode is topped off with a stunning showstopper and tasty bakes in each challenge, and it was really hard to decide who outsmarted the rest. Nadiya Hussain, this season’s eventual winner, has had success ever since. Husain went from being a full-time mother to a professional television chef and author after her experience at The Great British Baking Show.
1/9 Season nine
.jpg)
So far, season nine of The Great British Baking Show has been the most entertaining and popular. This episode was especially likable for its feisty string of contestants and eventual winner, Rahul Mandal. Season nine also saw a tremendous amount of talent, making every challenge close at hand. This season is not only exciting, but it is also exciting, funny and entertaining, with the best episodes of The Great British Baking Show to date.
Season 13 of The Great British Bake Off was broadcast in the UK on September 13, 2022 and will eventually hit Netflix.