--- title: Great British Baking Show Return: Season Eight Differences description: Here's a look at what's stayed the same and what's changed in the latest series of the amateur baking program, no longer shown on the BBC. canonical: https://time.com/4915524/great-british-baking-show-season-eight/ author: Kate Samuelson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-08-25T16:30:39.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:49:22.977Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: The Great British Baking Show: What's Different This Season og:description: From Mary Berry's departure to a new take on the catchphrase og:url: https://time.com/4915524/great-british-baking-show-season-eight/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb755b8245b633028/6988db2be76ad2afe162ee3c/gbbo8-talent-and-bakers-777n-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: The Great British Bake Off og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Great British Baking Show: What's Different This Season twitter:description: From Mary Berry's departure to a new take on the catchphrase twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb755b8245b633028/6988db2be76ad2afe162ee3c/gbbo8-talent-and-bakers-777n-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How the _Great British Baking Show_ Is Different in Season 8 by [Kate Samuelson](https://time.com/author/kate-samuelson/) ## Kate Samuelson Aug 25, 2017 4:30 PM UTC  Sandi Toksvig, Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith and Noel Fielding with this year's Bakers. Sandi Toksvig, Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith and Noel Fielding with this year's Bakers.Mark Bourdillon / Channel 4 Tele—© Mark Bourdillon/Love Productions/Channel4 by [Kate Samuelson](https://time.com/author/kate-samuelson/) ## Kate Samuelson Aug 25, 2017 4:30 PM UTC Season 8 of _The Great British Baking Show_ premieres in the U.K. this fall. But after the program’s controversial [move from the BBC to Channel 4](http://time.com/4504238/mary-berry-great-british-bake-off/), which led to the loss of long-time judge Mary Berry and hilarious hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, does the _Baking Show_ still contain the right ingredients? Here’s a look at what’s stayed the same and what’s changed in the latest series of the amateur baking program, which has gained a cult following around the world. ## What’s the same? **The format** _The Great British Baking Show_, known in the U.K. as [_The Great British Bake Off_](http://time.com/4547387/great-british-bake-off-like-brexit/), follows to a tee the well-trodden format that has made it so popular with its viewers over the years. Naturally, the first episode of season eight is Cake Week. As always, the first episode begins with a signature challenge (making a family-sized fruity cake), a technical challenge (the details of which are embargoed) and a showstopper challenge (baking an ‘illusion cake’ — a cake designed to trick the eye).  Back row left to right: Steven, Tom, Liam, Sophie, Peter, James, Chris. Front row left to right: Julia, Kate, Stacey, Flo, Yan. Mark Bourdillon/Love Productions/Channel4 **The white tent** Yes, the iconic white tent that has become synonymous with the kitsch baking show is back in business. “When I saw the tent, my heart rate went through the roof. It’s like my wedding day all over again. Except my wife’s not here,” squeals one contestant less than a minute into the episode. “I’m going to be baking in THE tent. It’s got so much history,” adds another. **Paul Hollywood** Steely-eyed British baker Paul Hollywood is the only famous face to have stuck with the _Baking Show_ following its move to Channel 4\. (Former hosts Giedroyc and Perkins released a pun-filled statement saying they were [“not going with the dough”](http://time.com/4504238/mary-berry-great-british-bake-off/) shortly after news broke of the show moving from the BBC.) And yes — he’s still giving out Hollywood handshakes. **Drama and disaster** The _Baking Show_ wouldn’t be the _Baking Show_ without a few mishaps (remember Ian [throwing his Baked Alaska in the trash](http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/28965236/the-truth-about-the-gbbo-baked-alaska-according-to-diana) and social media going into meltdown as a result?). Season eight looks as though it will continue in that tradition, if the first episode is any indication. Prepare yourself for more cake-in-trash fiascos and oven disasters. ## What’s different?  Paul Hollywood, Sandi Toksvig, Noel Fielding and Prue Leith Mark Bourdillon—Channel 4 **The hosts** We may have waved goodbye to Giedroyc and Perkins, but fans should be satisfied with their replacements. Comedians Noel Fielding, co-star and co-writer of the surrealist _Mighty Boosh_ series, and Sandi Toksvig, a regular on _QI_, have taken over hosting duties. Thankfully, they’re great at it. The pair complement each other well: Toksvig’s straight, matter-of-fact manner works perfectly with Fielding’s more unusual sense of humor. The pair isn’t afraid to mention its newcomer status: “We’re all newbies here — well apart from ol’ Blue Eyes,” Fielding jokes a couple of minutes into the season premiere, referring to Hollywood. **No Mary Berry** Hollywood may have stayed, but national treasure Berry has not ventured into Channel 4 territory. Last September, the 82-year-old baking legend announced that she would stay loyal to the BBC, bidding “farewell to soggy bottoms.” Berry has been replaced with Prue Leith, a famous TV chef, cookbook writer and restauranteur. **The catchphrase** A pedantic point, but while Giedroyc and Perkins used to alternate “On your marks,” “Get set,” and “Bake” (the _Baking Show_‘s famous catchphrase), Fielding and Toksvig say it in unison. It’s not worse, it’s just different. _The_ Great British Baking Show _premieres in the U.K. on Channel 4 on Aug. 29\. It is expected to be shown in the U.S. next year._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4915524/great-british-baking-show-season-eight/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4915524/great-british-baking-show-season-eight/"},"headline":"How the Great British Baking Show Is Different in Season 8","datePublished":"2017-08-25T16:30:39.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:49:22.977Z","description":"Series eight of The Great British Baking Show premieres in the U.K. this fall","url":"https://time.com/4915524/great-british-baking-show-season-eight/","keywords":["Television","United Kingdom","food and drink","baking"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb755b8245b633028/6988db2be76ad2afe162ee3c/gbbo8-talent-and-bakers-777n-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Kate Samuelson","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/kate-samuelson/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb755b8245b633028/6988db2be76ad2afe162ee3c/gbbo8-talent-and-bakers-777n-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"The Great British Bake Off","caption":"The Great British Bake Off","creditText":"Mark Bourdillon / Channel 4 Tele—© Mark Bourdillon/Love Productions/Channel4","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/television/","name":"Television"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4915524/great-british-baking-show-season-eight/","name":"How the Great British Baking Show Is Different in Season 8"}}]}] ```