Great British Bake Off ‘modern’ and ‘future facing’ on Channel 4

The much-loved Great British Bake Off will have a “new tone” and “feel modern” on Channel 4, the broadcaster has said.

Channel 4 paid a reported £75 million for three years of the hit show, which scored 15 million viewers on the BBC.

A source said that, so far, in the first episode of the new series, there were none of the “soggy bottom” jokes that Bake Off has been long-associated with.

She said she hoped viewers would find that “this is Bake Off but with an extraordinary, high calibre of contributors and it’s got a slight Channel 4 feel to it.

“We’ve got a new tone to it, it’s got a new comic riff to it. I think that feels modern and future facing. I think it’s a show that people will love with a Channel 4 spin.”

Ms Hunt denied reports that relationships between the new team – judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood alongside hosts Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig – had soured.

“I was in the tent a few weeks ago for the whole day. I was struck by completely the opposite.

She added: “Their chemistry is fantastic, the calibre of the baking is absolutely jaw dropping…

“I can reassure all the sceptics that it’s looking absolutely fantastic.”

A source said that in the first episode there were no “soggy bottom” jokes.

“Noel’s got a big, bright primary colours imagination and that’s where his gags are mined from.”

A clip, aired to the media as Channel 4 unveiled its annual report, showed a brief glimpse of the line-up in action.

Comic Fielding told the bakers: “Sadly I have to deliver the bad news… a horrible job.”

As Leith and Hollywood began their deliberations on who would be ejected from the tent, Toksvig joked: “You could say Noel.”

Fielding added: “I’ll go. I’ll go now. I’ll take a hit for the team. It’s been great…”

Planting a kiss on Toksvig’s cheek, he added: “See you later kids.”