So the Bake Off is finally here! For us here in the Glow Studio, this is a BIG DEAL!

For the majority though, why do we love it so much?

Maybe it’s because of the people; they are not all wannabe celebrities or for that matter, ‘celebrities’ trying to enhance their status or increase their already waning bank balances.  There is no money or momentous accolade involved, these are just normal, down to earth people from all walks of life who are passionate about a very ordinary hobby.

Maybe it’s the presenters; again, not massive celebrities but two very likeable characters who work together, with the experts and with the contestants incredibly well.  Their genius, quick-witted humour, mixed together with horrendous puns and innuendo all culminates into the relationships that they form with the bakers.  You can see that they genuinely care about every one of them and can share different private jokes and stories with each.  They have also been known to attempt to ‘help’ in a crisis or just be there for a supportive hug or a kick up the rear end when they’ve needed it.

Maybe it’s the experts; love him or hate him, you can’t fail to admire Paul Hollywood’s knowledge and precision in baking.  He’s the villain of the show, he knows what he wants and he’s not afraid to say what he thinks.  However, he also has that respectable quality of admitting defeat when he says that something won’t work and it does.  However, if it doesn’t work, he makes sure they know about it.  And Mary Berry, with her immense experience and knowledge she can always offer tips and advice to any method – you know full well that she has experienced every single mishap and disaster in the kitchen during her career as a super baker. The twinkle in her eye gives the impression that she knows exactly what will or won’t happen with the bake, but she will never say anything. And when tasting the finished bakes she will always find something good to say, no matter how bad it is. Although these two characters are poles apart, the unlikely chemistry between these two is unmistakeable.

Maybe it’s the baking; a household activity that the majority of us have attempted at one time or another with varying degrees of success.  Baking is demonstrated to us as a science and the precision that goes into it is incredible.  However it’s not just the bake or the taste that they have to worry about, they also have to make it look beautiful.  Some of the designs that are produced are so extraordinary that we could never think about recreating such masterpieces.  However, there are also the moments that we think to ourselves, perhaps we could have a go!

So we can’t pinpoint exactly why it’s so popular, but why do we need to.  Can’t we just enjoy it for what it is?  Fun personalities that we can warm to, creative thinking that we aspire to, knowledge that we marvel at and disasters that are heartbreaking but also a bit funny at the same time. You only have to see how social media sites are dominated by hashtags such as #GBBO and #soggybottom each week to realise that we’re not alone in our obsession with this fantastic TV show. Whether it’s inspiring or just comforting, we love the Bake Off!