Misery for Simon Cowell as 14 million viewers help Bake Off grab TV top spot from BGT
The Great British Bake Off has risen to become the most watched show of the year - well ahead of Si's talent show
THE Great British Bake Off has risen to become the most watched show this year.
The first episode of the new series averaged 13.6 million viewers last week, final figures show after adding in catch-ups.
It puts it well ahead of the previous top show this year, an episode of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent in April which had an average 12.5 million audience.
The Euro 2016 final between Portugal and France on BBC1 was next at nearly 12.3 million.
Last week’s opening episode of the baking contest was watched live by almost 10.5 million on average, a million more than last year’s debut. Around 3.1 million more watched on catch-up.
It peaked at 14.3 million in the show’s final minutes as church pastor Lee Banfield was axed.
And Bake Off kept up the momentum this week, averaging 10.1 million viewers. The figures show why ITV is desperate to bag Bake Off when the BBC’s contract with makers Love Productions ends this year.
The Beeb is still in talks over a new deal. But it is under pressure to cut costs, making it difficult to compete with ITV’s reported £21million offer.
'MISS' GOT TOP MARK
CREATIVE Candice Brown is not just a star baker but a star teacher too.
Her gingerbread pub won praise from the Bake Off judges on Wednesday’s show. And the 31-year-old was classed as “outstanding” by Ofsted inspectors who visited Chancellor’s School in Hertfordshire.
The PE teacher’s rating was revealed in a glowing tribute written when she left the school in 2014.
It called Candice, who lives with boyfriend Liam in Bedford, “an excellent teacher”.