Dagnell - A S Dagnell Mary Berry 2013

A s Mary Berry took a bite out of Janet Basus croissant, you could have cut the atmosphere with a knife. Four contestants were vying for a place in the prestigious final of one of the years biggest reality TV shows and everything was to play for. The winner would have the honour of being crowned the greatest amateur baker in Britain, and this would open up endless possibilities for them. The previous winner of the show had secured a baking book deal, the chance to tour the country showing off their skills, and even the opportunity to develop their own line of baked goods. The contestants knew the possibility of taking their love of baking to the next level was within their grasp. The pressure was on, with an audience of millions watching the contestants every move with baited breath, anticipating which one of the four would falter at the last hurdle and who would make it through. Loyal fans of the series also knew to watch the judges closely, too, as it all came down to Marys verdict what she thought of the buttered, savoury treat that the former French teacher had baked for her. The nervousness on Janets face was plain to see. Was the croissant too crumbly? Had the heat from the studio lights affected the end result? Was the texture of the pastry right? Or had she used too much butter?

The suspense was such that it would have been easy to imagine that this was the climax of a singing competition like ITV1s The X Factor or even BBC1s long-running ballroom dance show Strictly Come Dancing. But in fact this was the Great British Bake Off, the BBC2 cookery show that was in its second series and heading towards the final. And just like Britains Got Talent and Strictly, competition and high drama fuelled the show, only with the carefully rehearsed songs and meticulously choreographed dance routines replaced by baked goods.

A surprise hit, the show had blossomed in the year following its first series. Viewing figures had risen from a respectable 2.2 million to in excess of 5 million a considerable feat for any TV cookery show. After first airing in August 2010, it was safe to say the show had become a veritable triumph, a runaway success; it had become much more popular than its producers could have hoped. No one, not even the creators of the show, could have predicted that so many people would become hooked on a competition revolving around the humble art of baking.

But hooked they were. The ingredients of the shows success were very simple. After a rigorous selection process, a total of 12 home bakers started out at the beginning of each series. They then went head to head against one another, battling it out to be handed the coveted title of Britains best baker at the end. Week after week they were put through their paces, as they were given three classic British baked products to impress the judges with. Everything from profiteroles to pork pies was produced in vintage-style village marquees, with the challenges becoming increasingly difficult as the series progressed.

To make the competition as tough as possible, each week the contestants would have to produce three bakes. First they had to cook up a signature bake, to show off their tried-and-tested hand-cooked treats. Next came the technical bake, during which every baker cooked from the same recipe turning the kitchen into a level playing field but pushing many contestants out of their comfort zone. Then finally the contestants were really put to the test with a show-stopper, allowing them to show off their individual flair and creativity as they produced elaborate creations that really played to their strengths and tested the depth of their individual skills.

On top of the cooking, to add an extra dimension to the show, it was decided that the programme would trace the rich history of British baking by having each episode filmed at a different baking landmark. When Bakewell puddings were on the menu, the competition fittingly moved to Bakewell in Derbyshire, where the eponymous tart was first made by accident in 1820, by a chef at a pub called the White Horse Inn, after he messed up a recipe given to him by the landlady. Mini documentary-style films about the history of baking were also woven into the show.

It sounds nice and genteel but, of course, this was also a competition. Each week the contestant whose culinary skills were most lacking was ejected from the show, until the 12 were whittled down to a single winner. There were tears over the tinfoil, curses into the clingfilm and breakdowns by the baking trays. The gentle pursuit of baking got the full reality-show treatment.

It was a formula that had worked so well before, and the producers hoped it would mirror the success of other competitive cooking shows. The long-running