That is exactly the point I am making rip off of X-Factor, the same show with a different name all variations on a theme. What I am pointing out the public who pay for these shows should not be held to ransom and if a broadcaster makes a huge success of a format and loses it, just do what you can to retain the main body of people and make a variation. It has never been contested in court nor is it likely to otherwise so many prescedents will be used such as is Eastenders really that different to Coronation Street or Neighbours any different to Home and Away or is there any real difference between some of the new British dramas with a Nordic Flavour.

Offer Mary, Paul, Sue and Mel a good package and as someone suggested before call it MasterBake and be an extension of Masterchef but concentrating on baking. use the same set, same Kitchen, to make it a little bit different have a couple of episodes with contestants working in a bakery. Even add a judge or two with Mel and Sue hovering over them.

I have a newfound respect for Mel and Sue. To announce this so quickly is brave.

I too hope Mary Berry stays on the BBC as although I don't like the Great British Bake Off, her other shows are great. Paul Hollywood can be the sole judge on C4, his ego is big enough.

As you say Love ( 70% owned by Sky ) being greedy , I mean going from £5m turning down £15m and wanting £25m is bloody greedy , yes people want more but that's excessive. Bearing in mind Love became a popular investment for Sky due to its growth thanks to the BBC you would think there might be some loyalty and bearing in mind most of its output has been aired on the BBC but sadly not. You see me if I was the BBC I would now say to Love well take the rest of your stuff elsewhere as well and see how far you get.

By sorting itself out do you mean pay over the top for things and what anyone demands to keep a show ? one can only imagine how many threads we would have on that if they did.

Yes it has and cost a certain Mr Cowell quite a lot of money http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4482216.stm

Mastercake, please. Or Cake Off. Anything but Masterbake. Mel & Sue would implode with double entendres.

Agree , well put.

The attitudes you need to question are those of the tories towards the appropriate funding of ALL public services as well as the greedy attitudes held by private operators such as Love Productions.

Mel and Sue acted with dignity, good on them.

Mel and Sue quit? Believe that, you'll believe anything. It's the hype machine in full effect! Duh!

Watch in amazement as they sign new multi-million pound deals!

Should it not question the attitude of Love Productions, a 400% increase is not on to my mind in fact it is taking the pi** and people would be up in arms if the BBC had paid it and it would leave the door open for all other production companies to follow suit . I can see it going down hill now personally and that's a shame whereas on the BBC it could have been around for years, I may be wrong but that's just my thoughts. And it will be off air now until 2018 under contractual rules.


Some of us still do trust some people and not assume they are all releasing statements in order to get more money, some people do remain loyal.

Nothing to do with the fact that the BBC is a hugely popular broadcaster no?

You are right about one thing, I don't give Channel 5 the time of day. Utter tripe. I am very much a BBC type.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37355065

Well more fool you. Don't you know how the media works?


Yes, and? That's exactly the sort of bunkum I'm referring to.

And trust James Corden to do a tweet including Mel's fan account. Mel doesn't have a Twitter account.

It would be easy for the BBC to put the 4 of them into some filmed "insert" for Saturday Kitchen.
That has revolving presenters at the moment since James Martin left.

Not sure Mary would want to be bothered with a weekly live show, but Paul would probably like to have a go at presenting SK (if he has not already done it)

Mel and Sue would be good regular hosts for SK - guest chefs to do the actual cooking part - they can do the talking to the celebrity guests.
Plus you have the "omelette challenge" for the guest chefs which is a bit of competition

Edit : Forgot to add - CHannel 4 siging a deal to buy the show without the Presenters and judges being signed up - Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

I am off to the "Worst decisions in TV history" thread

It would be coverage without ads...an immediate improvement even before they switch the cameras on.

I don't get you, are you saying they were sacked or that they haven't really quit??? You're spouting rubbish

One look at Sue Perkins twitter and that statement and you can see they're pro GBBO on the BBC

Well we will see in 2018 when it comes back on air, personally I do not think it is a cynical ploy to get offered millions to present on Channel 4 as neither Mel nor Sue has anything against C4 having both worked for them before.

That's the way of the DS licence fee bashers- the BBC can't do anything right. No matter what they do, they'll be attacked for it.

The BBC refuse to pay the inflated cost- "How dare the BBC refuse to pay the £25m asked. The BBC is meaningless, shut it down"

The BBC give in and pay the £25m a year- "How dare the BBC pay such an obscene about of licence payers money on one show. The BBC are pissing away our, money shut it down".

Let's be honest, nothing short of the BBC announcing they're closing down will satisfy the moaners on here.

That is precisely it. When I, an enthusiastic licence fee payer, invest in BBC content/talent I expect loyalty from that talent and the content to remain on the BBC. I take a very dim view of talent/producers using me and the BBC only for them to run off with their ball the minute they get greedy. It is unacceptable behaviour. I never forgive any talent when they 'switch sides'.

As usual, the fans aim for the wrong target. So PACT lobbied for quotas to get 'indie' productions. And lo, Bbc staff suddenly became indies! Along with indies like Love, and of course pseudo-indies like Bbc Worldwide & now Studios. And Botney, who was/is a sort of indie-outie with his 'Imagine'.

All at the licence payer's expense. And the Bbc's given this kind of gutted it. But it's also where Studios may possibly make some difference, ie producing content the Bbc can flog so it doesn't need as much public money.

As for boycotting Love.. The Bbc's already got a 30+hr hole to fill in it's schedules, and for anyone fed up with the Bbc being a food channel, hopefully it'll fill it with something less stodgy.

Did IQs drop sharply while I was away?


They haven't quit. If you really believe Mel and Sue have quit Bake Off, then I've got some magic beans to sell you...


Oh, wake up and smell what they're shovelling! BBC have LOST Bake Off. Doesn't matter what they think. C4 will have promised them a lot of money to pretend they've quit.

No I got the right target. The dodgy tories and the greedy Love (or should that be Hate) Productions!!

I agree. Boycott Love Productions. They clearly don't hold the right values.

P.S. It's BBC. Please get it right.

Then that is just naive idealism. And not the real world.

BBC Studios will be the production arm of the BBC bringing under one roof all in-house production departments ( other than news , sports, kids and religious) and will be able compete in the market as well as make productions for the BBC as what was part of its 50% however whilst still guaranteeing 25% to small indies and the other 25% to larger indies are planning to drop the guarantee that 50% is made in-house by BBC Studios (formerly the Comedy, Drama, Entertainment, Music & Events and Factual production departments ) and will open it up to all bidders so BBC studios may make less for the BBC than now.

Love Productions was formed by Richard McKerrow and his partner Anna Beattie 12 years ago both Channel 4 Execs who left to start Love so not BBC employees leaving to start an indie.

my mum and Aunt Fanny said theyd be disgusted if Paul and Mary went to Channel 4.