We Feel Happier This Year!

We visit Paul, Sandi, Prue and Noel in the famous tent to talk about proving the critics wrong, knitting, bowling and croquet!

- Emma Bullimore

The proof was always going to be in the pudding, and it’s fair to say The Great British Bake Off ’s controversial move from the BBC to C4 last year was a success. So when TV Times heads to the familiar white tent in the idyllic Berkshire countryside, it’s as magical as ever.

We’re sitting in ‘Cake Corner’, where judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith mull over their final judging decisions, watching this year’s bakers mixing and measuring while the camera operators zoom in.

The atmosphere is calm and focused, as the bakers deal with distractions like the crew whisking bowls away to be washed up and presenters Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig asking questions.

While the bakers create culinary magic, Paul, 52, Prue, 78, Noel, 45 and Sandi, 60, lead us to a beautiful garden patio a short walk from the tent to tell us all about this year’s fresh batch of hopefuls.

‘We’ve become the world’s most dysfunctional family, we’ve stopped being polite to each other!’ laughs Sandi, and the chemistry between the four is undeniable…

Do you feel vindicated that the new show has worked so well?

Prue: I had no idea there was this big debate going on until I arrived on set, and then I heard people were talking about these new guys who were likely to mess up a national treasure, so we were all quite tense.

Noel: I found that quite exciting though – I miss people thinking I was going to ruin the show!