The finale of series 12 of The Great British Bake Off attracted a peak of over 7 million viewers, with Channel 4 claiming it was its highest-rating commission this year.
This year’s final’s share of viewing across TV is slightly down from last year’s 39.7%, but the average audience of 6.9 million viewers was the same as in 2019. Channel 4 described 2019 as “a more normal year of viewing volume” for comparison than the “bumper year of TV viewing” during lockdown in 2020.
Channel 4 stated its average integrated audience across HD and +1 was 6.9 million viewers and a 37.2% share of the total TV viewing audience – its second-biggest share of the total audience in its time slot for any final after 2020.
According to BARB overnight figures, the five-minute audience peak for last night’s episode on Channel 4 including HD was 7.37 million at 8.55pm, towards the end of the scheduled programming when the winner was announced.
The same data showed a peak audience share in a 15-minute slot was 36.8% at around 8.45pm.
Overnight figures revealed average audience share was 34.1% across Channel 4 including HD and its highest average audience share over a fifteen minute slot was 3.68 million between 8.30pm and 8.45pm.
Channel 4 gained the rights to the show from the BBC in 2017 and reported the series 12 final had a peak five-minute audience of 8 million and share of 42.1%.
The broadcaster also said it was the second biggest ever C4 Bake Off final for proportion of young viewers watching TV in its time slot after 2020 with 59.3% share of 16- to 34-year-olds watching the show between 8pm and 9.15pm.
Channel 4 said the current series was averaging 8.7 million viewers per episode making it second only to Strictly Come Dancing as the most watched unscripted show of the year.
It also said it was “the biggest first run unscripted series” on All 4 this year.
Channel 4 has announced with Love Productions an agreement to extend the license of The Great British Bake Off for a further three years until 2024.
Giuseppe Dell’Anno, 45, an Italian-born engineer from Bristol, became the first Italian to win the series (pictured, above, with other finalists Crystele Pereira right and Chigs Parma left credit Channel 4 press).
