The Great British Bake Off; The Joy of Winning

“From the infectious giggles to the contestant camaraderie, from the workbench mishaps to the mouthwatering creations – the Great British Bake Off’s return is always a welcome sign that autumn TV schedules are upon us. And after a fallow summer’s viewing, boy, it feels good to have it back.”
Michael Hogan, The Telegraph

“Not much has changed, and why would it? But gone, thank heavens, are those icky double entendres (clearly it was just Mel and Sue with filthy minds), giving way to an apparent game among the judges to name the lookalike. The world may be careering out of control, but the warm smell of baking has returned to our living rooms and everything is just fine.”
James Jackson, The Times

“Yes, it is cosy and mostly middle class, and the catastrophes – a dropped baking tray, a rubbery marshmallow – are safely contained within this little bucolic world, but for an hour a week, it is the television equivalent of comfort food. As we slide into winter and beyond, it feels like a valuable public service. A treat.”
Emine Saner, The Guardian

“This opening episode got off to a much quicker start than last year, by making sure we got to know all the new faces. So welcome back to Bake Off, without the saucy soggy bottoms, and with some extra zip – it’s sweet and addictive as ever.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“The Joy of Winning followed in the footsteps of The Joy of Data, The Joy of Stats and The Joy of Sex in being a nerdy guide to getting the most out of things — here looking at strategies that help you win more. It was really about maths (calculating percentage benefits and so on), yet barely a number was seen, which clearly does wonders for making theoretics tremendous fun.”
James Jackson, The Times