We've recently been overwhelmed by Great British Baking Show news, all of which has us sobbing in a ball on the kitchen floor. If you watch the show, you know the two best features of any given episode are hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins. Their unwavering support and encouragement of the contestants and their impressive glossary of baking puns are the soul of the show. Well, get ready for a knife to the heart: The comedy duo won't be around next year.
Following the announcement that the show would be moving from BBC Two to Channel 4, the pair released a statement about their own departure. They wrote, “We were very shocked and saddened to learn yesterday evening that Bake Off will be moving from its home. We made no secret of our desire for the show to remain where it was.” According to The Guardian, neither Giedroyc and Perkins nor the show's judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood were consulted about this significant change, so they were understandably unhappy with the news. Mel and Sue concluded their statement with their signature bake-themed jokes, saying, "We’ve had the most amazing time on Bake Off, and have loved seeing it rise and rise like a pair of yeasted Latvian baps. We’re not going with the dough. We wish all the future bakers every success.”
In addition to these two critical and tragic changes, we're also left unsure whether we can expect to see the other two familiar faces on the show next year. It has yet to be confirmed if Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood will return, but The Guardian also reported that both judges have expressed loyalty to BBC in the past and a desire to stay with the network. The switch of networks was apparently a result of a money dispute between BBC and Love Productions, according to BBC News. This comes as a major blow to fans seeing as such a huge part of the show's appeal is its easy-going, "it's not about winning" attitude. The irony that these home-bakers don't even play for a cash prize isn't lost on us.
While we'll probably still tune in for Series 8, sans Mel and Sue and who knows who else, it sadly just won't be the same. The only words of comfort we can provide at this time are for American viewers: Because of the delayed premiering of the show stateside, we still have one full season with the original key cast members to look forward to. We never thought waiting for GBBO would be a blessing.