The Great British Bake Off may not be staying on the BBC, but the furore surrounding the show’s move to Channel 4 has helped push ratings back up to the level of its record launch in August.
The fourth episode of the show reached an average audience of 10.3 million on Wednesday evening, just below the 10.4 million who watched the series seven opener and considerably more than the 9.7 million who tuned in last week.
The programme has consistently attracted around 45% of the viewing public for each instalment and been the most-watched show each evening, demonstrating its importance to the BBC and appeal to commercial rivals.
In contrast, ITV attracted 2.9 million viewers for its All Star Mr and Mrs celebrity couple gameshow, while Channel 4’s Paralympics talkshow The Last Leg: Live from Rio drew 1.3 million.
Channel 4 paid £75m for three series of Bake Off after talks between producers Love Productions and the BBC broke down earlier this week.
Presenters Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc have said they will not “follow the dough” to Channel 4 when it moves, but judges Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry have yet announce their plans.
Both Channel 4 and Love Productions have come under fire for taking on the show.
