BBC eager to keep Mary Berry while Paul Hollywood remains undecided about Bake-Off future
The future of the show remains in doubt as Channel 4 confirm it will be transferring from the BBC in 2018.
Paul Hollywood is remaining tight-lipped as to whether he will quit The Great British Bake Off after the show moves to Channel 4. The baking expert had previously expressed that the show should remain at the BBC.
However the announcement that the rival channel has signed a three-year agreement with its producers, Love Productions leaves the judges' future with the show undecided. The 50-year-old told The Sun's TV Magazine: "It's not my call. I work for Love Productions. I work for the Bake Off. I'm just a judge."
Fellow Bake Off judge Mary Berry, 81, earlier also told the newspaper: "I have no idea, anything that happens is nothing to do with my choice."
Berry was seen today at her Buckinghamshire home for the first time since news of the deal emerged on Monday. Her husband said that so far she is not 'signing anything' with Channel 4 and her decision would in part be motivated by her fellow hosts decisions.
According to Mirror Online, the BBC are reluctant to lose the veteran broadcaster who epitomizes the values of the BBC.
"She sums up their branding completely - she is quintessentially British, with strong family values and is a talented, homely chef with no gimmicks," a source said. "They are pulling out all the stops to keep her at the channel, and are showering her with offers for different formats.
"They've told Mary she can have whatever shows she likes - there are offers of Christmas specials and spin off shows about family meals and other feasts on the table. Brand Berry is not only a good fit for the BBC - they think she is a better fit with them for sales of her homeware products.
"She is committed to making quality products, and they believe her non-commercial affiliation supports this. Insiders believe she will choose the BBC. Some of the top bosses are pretty confident they will be able to secure her."
Co-presenters Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc made it clear that they would not be part of the transfer to Channel 4. In a statement, the TV double-act said: "The BBC nurtured the show from its infancy and helped give it its distinctive warmth and charm, growing it from an audience of two million to nearly 15 at its peak.
"We've had the most amazing time on Bake Off, and have loved seeing it rise and rise like a pair of yeasted Latvian baps. We're not going with the dough. We wish all the future bakers every success."
The presenters have previously said they would not continue if anyone of them left the show. If none of them make the move to Channel 4 there is the possibility of reuniting them in a new format.
"Mel and Sue have shown true loyalty to the Beeb, so there are plenty of offers flooding their way, now, too," the source added.
The presenters are under contract with Love Productions and not the BBC, meaning they are free to move to Channel 4 with the show. It's thought that Channel 4 would like to retain the original judges who are a key factor in the show's popularity, but a source for Love Productions added that if they don't make the move, "we have great creative minds and will come up with something else."
Jamie Oliver is hotly tipped to taking on a judging role on the show. The celebrity chef revealed he was previously offered a presenting job on the US version of the show which he turned down, but revealed he is a fan of the show.
This Morning hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby denied that they had been approached for the coveted TV job, with Phillip stating that the move would 'kill' the show. Meanwhile, Geordie presenters Ant and Dec are favourites to take over from Mel and Sue.
The BBC has come under criticism for giving up the much-loved show which attracts more than 10m viewers per week, however it was revealed that after 'exhaustive negotiations' they were unable to reach an agreement to keep the show on the BBC.
In a statement released yesterday (12 September), Love Productions said: "After an extraordinary six-year journey with the BBC, Love Productions announces with regret that it has been unable to reach agreement on terms to renew the commission of The Great British Bake Off.
"We will now be focusing on finding a new partner to develop the familiar show that the British public turn to in their millions. Love Productions would like to thank the BBC for the role it played in making this show such an enormous hit, and the faith they showed in us over the years to develop it."
According to The Independent there will be no more Great British Bake Off until 2018 after the current series ends due to a "holdback" clause in the previous contract, which states that there must be a 12-month gap before the show airs elsewhere.
Meanwhile, the news of the transfer to Channel 4 has left fans of the popular cookery show up in arms and has led to a Bake Off frenzy on social media.
© Copyright IBTimes 2024. All rights reserved.