Soggy bottoms and moist lady fingers made the baking contest a national institution, but Channel 4 have replaced tongue-in-cheek double entendres with quirky skits from off-the-wall hosts Noel Fielding, 45, and Sandi Tokvig, 60.
The first episode of the new series, which airs on Tuesday, doesn’t contain a single naughty pun from the judges or presenters.
Judge Paul Hollywood, 52, said: “I think innuendo is funny. I suppose it’s been part of Bake Off for a few years, but it’s not the be all and end all in Bake Off. Maybe we should do an outakes thing after 11pm.”
Fellow judge Prue Leith, 78, added: “We don’t cook them up, they just happen.”
Despite a ripe opportunity for an innuendo in the opening episode, which sees a contestant draw a baby resembling a penis on a biscuit with icing, Paul comments: “I think it looks like a prawn.”
The 10 best innuen-doughs
It comes as challenges have been “reigned back” to make the show more accessible to viewers.
Paul said: “I wanted to go back to basics to a point, because I think leading up to the technical challenges last year people were saying to me, ‘I can’t do that I’ve never even heard of it.’
“Which is fair enough, but we want the general public to actually bake. Some of the challenges we’ve reigned in and given that little bit more information on the more challenging ones.”
Paul also confirmed plans to take the show in a more modern direction by introducing vegan week.
He said: “We wanted something different and something to represent what was happening in this country and vegan ism is something that seems to be growing and we wanted to represent it on Bake Off this year.
“There is also a Danish week, I thought it would be quite apt this year, especially with Sandy.
“Veganism is fascinating. You’ve still got to judge it on the same criteria as you would for non vegan – it’s got to taste good, period.”
Meanwhile, Prue admitted that producers bosses failed to tell her she would be the butt of the opening gag about her giving last year’s winner away on Twitter.
She said: “My reaction would have been, ‘Look, I’ve not dared mention this for a whole year and now you’re using it so everyone will start mentioning it again.’ And now sure enough they are.”
GBBO is on Channel 4 at 8pm next Tuesday.
The oo-er is missed
IT’S business as usual in the Bake Off tent — with the tried and tested formula intact.
Hosts Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig have really found their feet as a confident comedy duo.
They are having more fun as they incorporate sketches and props in the opener — including a Back to the Future joke.
But the innuendo which helped make the show famous is missing. It’s a shame as the tongue-in-cheek gags were one of its best ingredients.
Spoilsport Paul Hollywood even seems determined to steer away from them.
Prue Leith promises to be a tougher judge, and while she is noticeably sterner in her remarks, she pales in comparison to Paul’s brutal critique and boyish bravado.
His wit borders on rudeness as he calls one contestant chubby and compares the eldest female baker to Dame Edna Everage.
But the real stars are the contestants, who are a refreshing mix of hopeful oddballs. It left me feeling hungry for the next episode . . . and a slice of cake.
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