Great British Bake Off's scandals – sex claims, flashing and 'cultural appropriation'

Great British Bake Off's scandals – sex claims, flashing and 'cultural appropriation',The Great British Bake Off might be the nation's favourite baking show, but the family-friendly Channel 4 programme has seen plenty of controversial moments over the years

Great British Bake Off’s scandals – sex claims, flashing and ‘cultural appropriation’

You might assume The Great British Bake Off is just a family-friendly baking show, but it's whipped up plenty of heated drama over the years.

The first ever series of Bake Off aired on BBC Two on this day (August 17) August 2010, almost 15 years ago, with judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood and hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins.

But there was uproar when it moved to Channel 4 on a huge £75million deal, with even hosts Sue and Mel admitting they were "shocked and saddened" to discover it was moving from its TV home.

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Sue, Mel and Mary left the show but Paul Hollywood stayed on board and was joined by fellow judge Prue Leith as well as replacement hosts Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig.

After Sandi left, comedian Matt Lucas stepped up to the task of hosting but last year he announced he would be leaving the programme.

And now This Morning favourite Alison Hammond will host the 14th series with Noel, so ahead of its return, Daily Star has rounded up the most explosive moments in the show's history.

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GBBO

Noel was blasted for hiding in the fridge

Mighty Boosh star Noel is known for his wacky antics on Bake Off, but he got into trouble when he hid in the fridge.

Sandi could be seen grinning as she opened the door to reveal the comedian during a comedic moment in the episode.

But 55 people complained to Ofcom about it and complained that Noel's fridge stunt could be harmful to children who might copy him.

Favouritism row and 'affair' claim

Bake Off was rocked by a favouritism row back in 2013 as fans grew convinced that Paul Hollywood was being unfairly generous to contestant Ruby Tandoh.

Some even claimed that the only reason the 21-year-old reached the final and finished runner-up is because she was having an affair with the judge.

However, Paul denied giving her preferential treatment and Ruby put the claims to rest for good in 2015 when she came out as gay.

She wrote: "For those who thought I fancied Paul Hollywood or that I'd ever bang him to get ahead – JOKE'S ON YOU, YOU MASSIVE S****ING MISOGYNISTS."

Leaked winner

Veteran restaurateur Prue Leith well and truly put her foot in it when she accidentally revealed the winner of the show in 2017.

12 hours before the final, where Sophie Faldo won, she tweeted: "No one told me judging a #GBBO final would be so emotional. I wanted them all to win. Bravo Sophie."

Prue quickly deleted the tweet, but lots of viewers were upset to have found out the winner before the episode had aired.

The legendary foodie explained the mistake was made because she was in Bhutan and thought the episode had already aired in Britain.

Cultural appropriation row

Last year, presenters Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas were hit with a bitter backlash after a Mexican-themed episode which saw them wear sombreros and shake maracas.

The episode also featured cliché dishes such as tacos, something that didn't go down too well with Mexican chefs.

Nud Dudhia suggested the show failed to respect Mexican cuisine which includes so much more than the dishes featured on the episode.

He told The Guardian: "Because of what’s happening in the culinary scene in London, people’s minds are being opened to what real Mexican food is, then The Great British Bake Off comes and kicks that back 10 years. It’s almost as though no research or respect was shown to the culture and cuisine."

He added: "Mexican food culture is stepping out of the shadow of sombreros and all those silly things and into a place where people are starting to understand how beautiful, complex and understated the cuisine is."

John Whaite's gory injury

Celeb baker John Whaite shot to fame as the winner of Bake Off back in 2012, but it wasn't all plain-sailing.

The ex-Strictly star managed to slice his finger open while using a food processor and had to be rushed out the tent to be helped by medics.

He was trying to impress the judges with his strudel, but he left Prue looking rather faint and soaked his oven glove with blood.

Some fans were shocked that the BBC chose to show the gruesome injury and some complained about the blood.

Luckily for John, they decided not to eliminate anyone that week and he ended up taking the crown.

Matt Lucas mocks Boris

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Matt Lucas sparked 181 Ofcom complaints when he did an impression of then-PM Boris at the start of the new series.

It was the comedian's debut on the programme and he went all out for it, dressing up in Boris' suit and even donning a blonde wig to mock the politician.

Matt's sketch saw him deliver a fake lockdown speech in front of a mock Downing Street setting, saying: "Stay Alert, Bake Cake, Save Loaves."

Poking fun at the government's Covid advice, Lucas added: "We are now approaching phase 46 which means that from Tuesday morning or Wednesday evening, depending on your height.

"We are saying, with regards to baking, that if you must bake in a tent, bake in a tent, but please don't bake in a tent."

Ofcom confirmed that te "vast majority" of the complaints related to the sketch mocking Boris.

Controversial axe

The Channel 4 show was slapped with 115 Ofcom complaints when Jurgen Krauss was kicked off in 2021.

The talented German baker got the boot in the semi-finals of the competition and it seems many viewers felt he was unfairly eliminated given how well he'd performed in the tent.

He'd previously won Star Baker three times, won the technical round earlier on and judge Prue described his Murder At The Opera 4 slices as "sensational", but it still wasn't enough.

And fans didn't like it when Paul gave out Hollywood Handshakes to fellow contestants Giuseppe, Crystelle and Chigs, who all proceeded to the final, but not him.

Naked squirrel

Bake Off fans were left redfaced when a squirrel bared its penis and testicles during the 2011 final.

You might expect to see nuts in one of the cakes, but probably not dangling from a live creature.

Before the show, then host Sue Perkins tweeted, "I can now reveal that this week's GBBO features a shot of a squirrel with outsized nuts. Trust me, they are anatomically DAZZLING. Enjoy."

The squirrel used to feature in the show's opening credits, but viewers were unhappy when he was replaced with a pheasant in 2016.

Some called for the squirrel to return, but sadly it never happened.

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