Overview
- The new series premiered on Tuesday, 22 September, with Nigella Lawson joining returning judge Paul Hollywood and hosts Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding.
- Episode one featured a signature chocolate stout cake drawn from Lawson’s recipes, a coffee-and-walnut technical and a self-portrait showstopper, with Mo named Star Baker and no contestant eliminated after Shannon fell unwell.
- Early reviews were mixed, with many critics praising Lawson’s warmth, judging style and on‑set fit while others said producers largely kept the show’s familiar three-challenge format and missed an opportunity for a deeper revamp.
- Channel 4 and Love Productions positioned Lawson as a high-profile recruit to lift ratings and online attention, and they will be monitoring audience response and viewing figures in the coming weeks.
- The change follows Dame Prue Leith’s January decision to step down after nine years and comes as the series introduces production tweaks such as new challenge types and a renamed spin-off, keeping the long-running format at the centre of its appeal.