The Great British Bake Off is a “very Channel 4 show now”, the broadcaster’s director of programmes has said.
The hit show moved to Channel 4 in 2017 after seven series on the BBC.
This week it notched up its biggest-ever final on Channel 4, with a record 9.2 million viewers watching the crowning of “baby-faced assassin” Peter Sawkins.
Ian Katz, Channel 4 director of programmes, said it was “one of the most disruptive and noisy” shows aired by the broadcaster.
Welcome to a new series of The Great British Bake Off – and a big hello to our new presenter Matt Lucas! #GBBO pic.twitter.com/0sa8NxTJtE
— British Bake Off (@BritishBakeOff) September 22, 2020
“If you saw the amazing sketch at the opening of this series, the sketch satirising the coronavirus briefings, it was a very Channel 4 moment, certainly noisy,” he said of the Matt Lucas skit.
“The interesting thing about Bake Off is the way it’s changed since it’s been at Channel 4.
“It is a very Channel 4 show now. What you saw in the final was the biggest young volume ever to come to Bake Off, even through all the years it was on BBC One.”
'Tis the evening after the night before. Relive last night's finale via the medium of Moments… #GBBO
⚡️ “The Final (2020)” by @BritishBakeOff https://t.co/bJwQGMCGjJ
— British Bake Off (@BritishBakeOff) November 25, 2020
The final scored the highest share of young viewers to any Bake Off episode.
“That just shows how Channel 4 has the capacity to address those younger audiences,” Katz said. “I’m very happy to have lots more disruptive shows like Bake Off.”
Sawkins was nicknamed the “baby-faced assassin” by Noel Fielding, who co-hosts the show – judged by Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood – with Lucas.
Katz made the comments as Channel 4 unveiled a new strategy to focus on digital viewing.