The Great Sport Relief Bake Off 2014

It seems like the Great British Bake Off has been around a lot longer than it's mere 4 series suggests. Yet currently, it is now pretty close to achieving TV institution status in Britain. Of course, as well as the regular series, there have also been a smattering of specials, and this year's Sport Relief was not only a nice way to watch the show if you never had before, but was also charming, lovely, funny and warm hearted to watch. 

In case you haven't worked it out by now, this is about a baking programme, so if that is not your thing at all, then disregard these words, the star rating, this entire blog post altogether. Yet if you are even remotely interested, then Sport Relief Bake Off provides you with 4 hour-long shows over 4 consecutive nights of baking delights, as well as a few balls-ups, with often hectic and hilarious results.

Nevertheless, for every disaster that befalls the Bake Off tent (which, let's face it, is one of the main reasons we watch it - perfection every time would be so boring) there are at least a matching number of inventive and delicious bakes. Joining judges Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry, who are TV stalwarts now, whether you like them or not (ahem - whether you like Paul or not, I haven't made up me mind yet, how can you not love Mary Berry?!) was sublime presenter Sue Perkins, who normally co-hosts the regular show with Mel Giedroyc. But Perkins only handled episode one, handing over the reigns to Jo Brand, who actually I didn't think suited Bake Off at all, and then Omid Djalili and Ed Byrne, who did.

Of course, this is the show that is truly make or break, thanks to the people on it each time, and with Sport Relief, every episode gave us 4 new celebrities (actual properly recognizable celebs - not like Celebrity-Dine-Bushtukka-Big Brother-tripe-a-lot) to watch, laugh with and admire.

As well as the obvious mix of baking brilliance and hopelessness which comes with every episode, this I feel again, is a nice way to get into Bake Off. Unlike the regular series which demands you follow a set of bakers over weeks and weeks, Sport Relief's edition gives you 4 new people each episode, who solely compete against each other for the prize of "Star Baker". Yet in essence, it's for charity, and it's four people baking and having a bit of fun, and you do too watching them. Each nightly crop was interesting, yet for me several stood out for various reasons. The hilarious Johnny Vaughan and Alistair McGowan. The lovably ditsy Helen Skelton and Jamelia. The beguiling and elegant Samantha Bond and Bonnie Wright. And the wonderfully endearing and watchable Michael Ball and Jane Horrocks. There were a few who I didn't think took to Bake Off mind. Presenter Emma Freud was to me quite "unique" (in other words she seemed off her trolley) burning holes in carpet and caramelizing bacon with chocolate, yet despite this she did quite well on the show! Also, Olympic cyclist Victoria Pendleton, whilst displaying some ability baking-wise, did have the most "diva-ish" Bake Off journey I feel, if that's at all possible. Starting apparently lackadaisical about the whole thing, just wanting to enjoy it, to becoming a little self-obsessed and overly dramatic towards the end of her episode.  

At it's core though, Sport Relief Bake Off was good, wholesome, fun television; like all other episodes gone before. I feel that, by and large, it is totally deserving of it's ever-growing popularity. Long may it reign.