BBC cooking show under fire over ‘Bake Off’ similarities

The BBC’s new cooking show has reportedly come under fire from fellow broadcaster Channel 4 for ripping off “The Great British Bake Off”.

Broadcast on the BBC since 2010, “Bake Off” will be shown on Channel 4 this year after the company won the rights to the amateur baking competition.

“Britain’s Best Cook”, a newly created show by the BBC, will test amateur cooks as they face various challenges each week, much like “Bake Off”.

The BBC’s show is due to be launched later this year, as is Channel 4’s first instalment of “Bake Off”.

Mary Berry, who has stayed with the BBC, has been announced as one of the judges on the new show, which will be hosted by TV personality Claudia Winkleman.

According to a Channel 4 source speaking to The Sun newspaper, “the similarities between the formats haven’t gone unnoticed”.

“The idea of Mary Berry judging amateur cooks each week, with some of the challenges even including puddings, sounds extremely familiar. People are calling it The Great British Rip Off.

“There’s a lot of money riding on all of this, so it isn’t going to be overlooked,” the newspaper reported the spokesperson as saying.

However, the BBC hit back at the comments, stating that the shows are very different. When approached by WIPR for comment, it said: “They are different shows, as people watching will see.”

Channel 4 declined to comment.  

Source: WIPR

Editor: Camila