The Great British Bake Off series 8

The Great British Bake Off
Series 8
British digital release
Starring	Noel Fielding Sandi Toksvig Paul Hollywood Prue Leith
No. of episodes	10
Release
Original network	Channel 4
Original release	29 August (2017-08-29) – 31 October 2017 (2017-10-31)
Series chronology
← Previous Series 7 Next → Series 9

The eighth series of The Great British Bake Off began on 29 August 2017,^[1] with this being the first of The Great British Bake Off to be broadcast on Channel 4, after the production company Love Productions moved the show from BBC One.^[2] It is the first series for new hosts Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig, and new judge Prue Leith.^[3]

This series was won by Sophie Faldo, with Kate Lyon and Steven Carter-Bailey finishing as runners-up.^[4]

Colour key:

For the first challenge, the bakers were instructed to make a cake using fresh fruit, with no dried fruit permitted, in two hours. For the technical challenge, the bakers were instructed to make twelve chocolate mini rolls using Prue Leith's recipe which contains peppermint cream, in two hours. The showstopper challenge required the bakers to make an illusion cake: a cake that appears to be some other object. They had four hours to complete the task.

For the signature challenge, the bakers were instructed to make 24 sandwich biscuits in two hours and fifteen minutes. For the technical challenge, the bakers faced a very difficult challenge of making fortune cookies of two types of flavours – six almond and six orange, in two hours. For the final showstopper challenge, the bakers were required to make a biscuit board game that should be at least 40 cm (16 in) long in diameter and has at least eight elements in 3+1⁄2 hours.^[19]

The bakers were instructed to make twelve teacakes in 2+3⁄4 hours in the signature challenge. For the technical challenge, the bakers were tasked to make a cottage loaf in 2+1⁄2 hours. For the showstopper challenge, the bakers were required to make a multicoloured bread sculpture with at least three colours using natural food colouring in 4+1⁄2 hours.^[20]

For the first signature challenge, the bakers were required to produce eighteen identical millionaire shortbread bars in two hours and fifteen minutes. The technical challenge was set by Prue Leith where the bakers were tasked to make twelve stroopwafels in one hour and forty-five minutes. Only one test waffle was allowed, and the challenge proved to be a very difficult one for the bakers with none of them producing an adequate caramel. For the final showstopper challenge, the bakers were required to make a caramel cake consisting of at least three layers of sponge in 3+1⁄2 hours. They were required to incorporate spun sugar into their decorations.^[21]

For the signature challenge, the eight remaining bakers were required to bake a steamed school pudding with an accompaniment such as a compote or a custard in three hours. The technical challenge was set by Paul Hollywood where the bakers had to bake six molten chocolate puddings with a peanut butter filling in one hour. Each baker was called one at a time so their puddings could be ready at different times for Paul and Prue to judge (starting with Julia, followed by Sophie, Liam, Steven, Yan, Kate, James and finally Stacey). For the showstopper challenge, the bakers were asked to bake an ornamental trifle terrine with three elements—a baked element, a set custard or mousse, and a jelly—in 4+1⁄2 hours .^[22]

In the signature challenge, the bakers were required to produce four decorative savoury pies using shortcrust pastry with different designs on the pies that share a common theme in 2+1⁄2 hours. For the technical challenge, set by Paul, the bakers were tasked to produce twelve pastéis de nata using rough puff pastry in two hours. For the final showstopper challenge, the bakers were required to produce a family-sized hand-raised pie with a savoury filling using hot water crust pastry, topped with glazed fruits in four hours.^[23]

For the first ever Italian week in Bake Off, the bakers were given 2+1⁄2 hours to make the required eighteen Sicilian Cannolis with three different types of fillings. This week's Italian technical challenge was set by Prue Leith, where the bakers were tasked to make the well-known, yet tricky, Pizza Margherita with a thin crispy base in 1+1⁄2 hours. For the showstopper challenge, the bakers were required to make a very technically challenging and fiddly Italian bake: twenty-four Sfogliatelles with two types of fillings in 4+1⁄2 hours.^[24]

The bakers were required to make 4 Bedfordshire Clangers within two hours in the signature challenge. Each must contain a savoury filling at one end and a sweet filling at the other, and be made from suet crust pastry. In the technical challenge, set by Paul Hollywood, the bakers were given 1¹⁄₂ hours to make a traditional Cumberland Rum Nicky: a large tart consisting of a sweet shortcrust pastry, a rum-soaked fruity filling covered with a lattice top, and served with a smooth rum butter. For the historic showstopper, the bakers had 3¹⁄₂ hours to make a Victorian Savoy cake, a sponge cake baked in a mold, often in elaborate architectural shapes, with a hard sugar crust or coating that helped preserve it as it served as a banquet centrepiece.^[25]

For the semifinal signature bakes, the bakers were asked to make twenty-four choux buns—twelve must have a crunchy craquelin on top, and the other twelve must be covered with icing—in 2+1⁄2 hours. For the technical challenge, which was set by Prue Leith, the bakers were tasked with a very difficult job of making nine Les Misérables slices to be done in three hours. For the showstopper challenge before the final, the bakers were asked to make a meringue centrepiece, containing at least two different types of meringue and a dessert element, in four hours and forty-five minutes.^[26]

For the signature challenge in the final, the last three bakers were tasked to make a batch of twelve small loaves. There must be three different types of loaves—four need to be intricately shaped (e.g. plaited), four need to be flavoured, and four need to be made from an alternative grain such as spelt or buckwheat—in three hours. Prue set the final technical challenge, asking the bakers to make ten ginger biscuits—five oval and five square—in 2+1⁄2 hours.^[27] They each should have a great snap and be intricately iced with two complicated patterns. For the ultimate showstopper challenge, the bakers were tasked to make one large entremet, having a minimum of five elements, one of which must be a sponge, and covered with a glaze or ganache, all in five hours.^[28]

The two holiday specials each featured four returning contestants from the series 2–7.^{[citation needed]}

The first special featured Selasi Gbormittah (Series 7), Val Stones (Series 7), Paul Jagger (Series 6) and Beca Lyne-Pirkis (Series 4). The competition was won by Paul Jagger.

The second special featured Benjamina Ebuehi (Series 7), Rav Bansal (Series 7), Sandy Docherty (Series 6) and Rob Billington (Series 2). The competition was won by Rav Bansal.

For the signature challenge, the bakers were given two hours to create a Christmas family favourite: a Yule Log. The technical challenge was set by Prue, and allowed the bakers 1+1⁄2 hours to make twelve mince pies with lattice tops, served with brandy butter, with very limited instructions and ingredients provided. The showstopper challenge featured the bakers creating eight snow globe cakes using a sugar glass dome to encase an edible Christmas scene on top of an entremet.

The bakers were required to make six snowy bombe Alaska tarts in the signature challenge. The technical challenge was set by Paul, where the bakers were tasked to make a pistachio Kransekake Christmas tree consisting of twelve layers of concentric rings, topped with a star. For the final showstopper challenge, the bakers were required to make a magical ice cake with elaborate sugar work that create a scene of winter wonderland.

Liam Charles was chosen as a co-presenter for the revamped professional version of Great British Bake Off, Bake Off: The Professionals,^[29] and in 2019 returned as co-judge for Junior Bake Off. He has written two recipe books on baking; Cheeky Treats: 70 Brilliant Bakes and Cakes,^[30] and Second Helpings.^[31]

Sophie Faldo runs her own business, Sophie Faldo Cakes.^[32] She has also appeared in an episode of a travelogue TV series Travels with a Goat.^[33]

On 31 October 2017, judge Prue Leith accidentally revealed Sophie Faldo as the winner of the series on Twitter twelve hours before the finale was due to air. This caused uproar among many fans of the show. She quickly deleted the tweet and apologised to the fans who saw the tweet.^[34]

The first episode to be broadcast on Channel 4 received an overnight viewing figure of 6.5 million, which is the channel's highest viewing figure since the opening ceremony for the 2012 Paralympics, but down from the 10 million obtained in the previous series on BBC One.^[35] The overnight viewing figure for the final was 7.7 million (8.9 million at its peak), lower than the 14 million for the equivalent episode on BBC One in 2016.^[36]

Official episode viewing figures are from BARB. Figures are total counts including HD and Channel 4 +1.^[37]