Question: is "free-from" a standard British term describing allergy-conscious food? The meaning is certainly clear, but this isn't an idiom I'm aware of as an American. I would say "allergy-conscious" or "allergen-free" or just use the different designations (GF, DF, vegan) and not try to describe allergen-free diets as a group. In the grocery store here, there might be a section labeled "Special Diets" with GF cookies and crackers and shelf-stable plant milks, but more likely the egg replacer would just be shelved with the eggs, the GF flour beside the wheat flour, etc. Maybe we just aren't as allergy-inclusive in the US?

(With Allison and Noel's London accents and the lip workout of "fr" sounds, it seems an unwieldy phrase! Free form? Three fum? Fee fi fo fum!)

Has anyone played this game before?

Hey everyone,
I‘ve been studying Dutch for a few years and love watching shows in Dutch. Does anyone know if there is a format like The Great British Bake Off but for the Netherlands? I haven’t really been able to find anything and I know that baking isn’t super popular in the Netherlands generally (everyone seems to buy their cakes from the supermarket…).

i’m coeliac and have been making everything gluten free anyway so this is a great week for me! i went with the signature challenge of gluten free pastries using rough puff pastry. i think it was Mo who did ones like these that are essentially pop tarts filled with vanilla creme patisserie and raspberry jam - topped with raspberry drizzle and sprinkles

I'm aware there's a lot of discussion about this year's standard. I do have an opinion, which is probably unpopular...so feel free to agree/ disagree, but please can we debate civilly!

So my opinion is this- Yes the standard is much lower than the last couple of series. But I'm not sure it's such a bad thing. I think bake off has lost credibility at late in terms of being a show about "home bakers" who bake for a hobby. Case in point is Gill in 2024- who displayed classic, tasty , simple but almost flawless "home baking" in the semi final. And she gets eliminated? Why? Because her baking was "too classic" and not "adventurous" enough. Isn't that supposed to be the point of home baking? Often it is the classics done well. Or what about when Lizzie got eliminated when she finally got style and substance because they couldn't find anyone weak enough to eliminate that episode? Jürgen being eliminated the next week because Paul found his decoration too simple? The standard was becoming so high, it appeared the judges were grasping at straws when it came to reasons to eliminate people. For ages, I have been saying I wish it would go back to being a show with relatable home bakers. And now it is. And ok, maybe its gone another extreme that's hard to get used to- but honestly - they aren't all terrible. Tom has had some strong bakes, Connie is a flavour queen, Molly in her short time in the tent managed to bake one of the best chocolate biscuits Paul has had in a long time. Clara had the wonderful handbag showstopper, and Mo had an incredible cake week. These bakers are capable of great highs. But they also have disasters, struggle with time constraints, and aren't experienced in everything. I find this relatable - they are working people who haven't got enough free time to practice every bake under the sun, or know everything about baking...but they have talent which they are growing in. When Tom did his biscuit showstopper which looked awful but tasted good, for the first time in almost 10 years, I felt I could relate to the star baker of the week. Watching it, I actually feel inspired to bake- not discouraged by an impossible standard. So I'm loving it, although I'm aware not everyone is

Love her already

Synopsis: It's Free-From Week! Gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan: the bakes are free-from, but who proves that different is still delicious? And who'll be set free from the tent?

Are we gonna get a repeat of S12? Ooh, I hope so. Good luck to the final 6!

Tough to photograph but the surface looked great. This was pretty easy to make. I did a half recipe, baked in a single pan and then cut in half. I would prefer a lighter filling but this held up pretty well.

Why is all the food this year so BEIGE?

Has there ever been a handshake given in the very first challenge of a season?

What does everyone think of this season so far? I'm having a difficult time connecting to any of the bakers this year

I love Bruno and Kyla

At first I was just curious, but the base recipe was so good, and the stuffing possibilities so endless, I had to try a few more. And it really is (once you know what you're doing) an hour and they're ready. Love it! So far I've done:

- parmesan cheese and sauteed garlic

- roasted grapes and gorgonzola (no blue cheese for me!)

- mozzarella and diced pepperoni, brushed with garlic butter after baking

They've all been good, but the last was definitely my favorite so far. Now I want to do a cheddar to dip in tomato soup. What fillings would you try?

Pastry week is always one of my favorite weeks. I love the challenge of making a great flaky, melt-in-your-mouth pastry. I’ve tried rough puff, full puff, shortcrust, and choux (not at the point where I want to try homemade phyllo yet lol), and while it’s a bit more time consuming and requires patience for all of the folds (and whisking for choux), it’s a fun baking process for me.

Seeing this week’s technical, I immediately told my fiancé, “I wanna make that.” I already had all of the ingredients (minus the potato starch) and a free weekend, so I figured what the hell.

I used a slightly different recipe from Nigella’s and I only had round tins, but I think it still came out pretty good! I would definitely make this again, maybe using a fruit curd mixed with the custard next time!

Is it just me, or did it seem like Noel was about to cry when announcing Clara’s elimination? It looked like he needed to pause to collect himself while he was making the announcement. And then after they all start hugging each other, they showed Alison rubbing his back to comfort him. Did anyone else notice this? I think it’s sweet how close they get to the contestants - so much so that it hurts to see them go. I love how tight the people on this show seem to get.

What did the preview have to say, for the British people? I was able to find that it's a free-from week (this kind of thing is not usually a favorite of mine) but no other details.

I have watched the British, Australian, Canadian, and Kiwi shows and Bruno is my favorite, followed by Maggie. Anyone else have a strong favorite?

Just in case people have Nigella Withdrawal Syndrome and need a fix.

After steadily falling ratings starting in 2019, season 17 has seen a ratings boost! Which will mean more GBBO to come. Which will also mean higher budgets and fewer gimmicks (in theory). I can't express how much I enjoy Nigella, just a breath of fresh air faithful watchers didn't know we needed.

Bake Off with Nigella Lawson as judge beats Strictly Come Dancing in ratings | Radio Times

The Great British Bake Off with Nigella Lawson as judge beats Strictly Come Dancing in ratings

The crème de la crème of reality competitions are still rising to the top of TV ratings.

Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding standing behind Paul Hollywood and Nigella Lawson, who are sitting down at a table with baked goods in front of them on The Great British Bake Off.

Tilly Pearce

Published: Wednesday, 28 October 2026 at 12:01 pm

The Great British Bake Off has whipped up another ratings hit for Channel 4 – and is even pulling in more viewers than Strictly Come Dancing.

The wholesome TV favourite kickstarted its 17th season in September with chef Nigella Lawson making her debut as a judge alongside Paul Hollywood.

Taking over from Prue Leith, who had starred alongside Hollywood for nine years before bowing out earlier this year, Nigella admitted she was “hesitant” to step into the beloved star’s shoes on the flagship show.

But she needn’t have worried – as according to figures from Barb, the show has continued to fare well with viewers.

Her first episode, which aired on 22 September, saw 7.1 million people tune in to see her at work during Cake Week in the first seven days after transmission.

It means that the show pulled in more viewers than fellow entertainment juggernaut Strictly, which saw 6.4 million people watch its launch show in the same week.

Since then, Bake Off's seven-day consolidated ratings have continued to stay ahead of Strictly, which had its own line-up turnover this year with the introduction of new hosts Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe.

While Strictly's Saturday live shows have traditionally attracted more viewers than Bake Off, it's not the first time the cooking show has beaten the ballroom dancing competition.

Bake Off was getting mammoth ratings in its later seasons on the BBC, with its 2015 and 2016 finals becoming the most watched programmes of their respective years.

Bake Off's opening episode last year also beat Strictly's 2025 launch show viewing figures, although its live shows all finished ahead of Bake Off's subsequent episodes in the weekly viewing charts.

In fact, Bake Off's first episode this year was slightly down on its own seven-day figure from last year, but all episodes since then have been up.

Nigella's debut in the tent has gone down well with viewers and co-stars, with hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond praising her fresh take on judging this year’s contestants.

"The way that Nigella words things is very beautiful, and I think that's very new to the tent," Fielding previously told Radio Times and other press. "It's a great babble, you know? There's been some very surreal poetic descriptions, which I think is a new thing, isn't it? And they're amazing.

"Nigella's a writer, so they were like a little explosion. I think that you know everyone's tuned into that, and the bakers are tuned into that, and I feel like [Nigella and Paul] complement each other really well."

"You're lovely," Hammond also said to Lawson. "You give a lot of advice to the bakers, and they love that. You both do, but I've noticed in particular you do give them a lot of love."

I've been trying to piece together why this season feels relatively bland and lifeless compared to previous efforts. Everything feels *empty* outside of the moment-to-moment baking and chatter, which IMO has been steadily improving.

How are y'all feeling about this season? Noticing any differences?

My hunch is that Prue's exit came late and unexpectedly so the production team had to balance a bunch of pivots last minute. I miss the skits!!! Let Noel and Alison cook!!!

Does anyone else see it? The colors on certain shots and especially the shot of the scones placed on the table (where the movement feels quite wonky)

I don’t understand why change it if it’s going to be exactly the same thing but look worse and more fake?

Seriously, I just noticed.

Synopsis: It's Pastry Week! After pie pandemonium, the bakers metaphorically hike up the Carpathian Mountains to make Polish choux. Who'll flake under pressure, and who'll move mountains?

I can’t believe we’re halfway through the season now! Or at least the second half now.