'Great British Bake Off' will 'look like normal' despite production changes, says Channel 4

Channel 4 have said the 11th series of Great British Bake Off won't look different to a typical season despite production changes due to the coronavirus.

Last week, production bosses revealed cast and crew had been living and working "in a bubble" for six weeks after testing and quarantine periods to ensure the programme could be filmed safely.

Speaking at the Edinburgh Television Festival, Deputy Director of Programmes and Head of Popular Factual for Channel 4 Kelly Webb-Lamb spoke on the stringent health and safety measures that meant it could go ahead as usual.

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She explained: “The car you’re driving to set also has to be quarantined, nobody can have been in it for the time of quarantine and then everything that comes on to set has to be properly disinfected to protect everybody on set and the production.

“That then means that set is Covid-secure and that enables a little bit more flexibility so in the tent what you will see looks like normal Bake Off because it it is normal Bake Off and we’ve been able to do that."

Typically, cast and crew do not remain together for the entirety of production and the show is usually filmed over a longer time frame.

Webb-Lamb opined that "it will feel like Bake Off" when viewers see the finished product as she praised Love Productions for pulling off "an incredible feat".

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There will be one noticeable change, however, that was announced pre-pandemic as Matt Lucas replaces Sandi Toksvig to present with Noel Fielding.

Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood will return as judges.

With additional reporting by PA.