Review: The Great British Bake Off (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Review: The Great British Bake Off

4:50pm Friday 25th January 2013 in TV By John Anson, Features editor

JO Brand you are almost forgiven for ever agreeing to be a judge on Splash.

Anyone who, when set the challenge of creating a character cake decides to turn out a sponge version of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, has to be given major credit in the lunacy stakes.

All this week, BBC2 has revived its hugely successful and mouthwateringly effective piece of fluff, the Great British Bake Off.

The special programmes for Children in Need have brought a whole series of unsuspecting and, in some cases virtually unknown, celebrities, to be sacrificed in front of the improbably named Paul Hollywood and domestic goddess Mary Berry.

Unlike the series proper, the Comic Relief version hasn’t quite had the standard of culinary expertise we’re used to – the sight of one contestant using a grater to ‘sand’ off burnt bits is probably something you would not see on the real show.

But there is something marvellously enjoyable about watching other make fools of themselves in the kitchen.

And the good news is, it’s all for a good cause. The Beeb has, struck the balance right between entertainment and education highlighting its charity without preaching at us.