BBC loses Great British Bake Off to Channel 4 after year-long negotiations with production company

Last series: The current series of the Great British Bake Off will be the last to air on the BBC
BBC/Love Productions/Mark Bourdillon

The Great British Bake Off will move to Channel 4, it has been revealed.

The current series of the show will be BBC One's last after programme-makers Love Productions signed a new three-year deal, it emerged tonight.

The first Bake Off programme set to be broadcast on Channel 4 will be a celebrity version of the show in 2017, in aid of Stand Up To Cancer.

Jay Hunt, Channel 4's chief creative officer said they were "very proud" to be the baking show's new home.

She said: "I'm delighted we have been able to partner with the hugely talented team at Love Productions to keep this much loved show on free-to-air television."

Richard McKerrow, Love Productions creative director said: "We believe we've found the perfect new home for Bake Off.

"It's a public service, free-to-air broadcaster for whom Love Productions have produced high quality and highly successful programmes for more than a decade.

"It's tremendously exciting to have found a broadcaster who we know will protect and nurture The Great British Bake Off for many years to come."

The news comes shortly after it was announced that the BBC had lost its contract to broadcast the show, which features judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood.

A BBC spokesman said the corporation would love to have kept the baking programme but that they were "a considerable distance apart on the money".

He added: "The BBC's resources are not infinite. GBBO is a quintessentially BBC programme.

"We hope Love Productions change their mind so that Bake Off can stay ad free on BBC One."

There have long been rumours that ITV was lining up to poach the series when the current contract with the BBC was up.

Great British Bake Off 2016 - contestants in pictures

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Last year's Bake Off final was the most-watched show of 2015, with 15.1 million people seeing Nadiya Hussain crowned champion.

The return of the show in August set an audience record, as 10.4 million people tuned in for the first episode of the seventh series.

The programme, currently airing on BBC One on Wednesday evenings, is hosted by Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins.

Love Productions said in a statement: “After more than a year of exhaustive negotiations we have been unable to reach an agreement with the BBC for the renewal of The Great British Bake Off.

"We feel it is very important to let you all know as soon as possible because there has been a lot of inaccurate reporting in the media about the negotiations and we want you to be aware of the main facts.

"We are really saddened by this outcome because we always wanted to stay on the BBC. As recently as June we were convinced that was what would happen. This has never been about who might write the biggest cheque, but about where we can find the best home for Bake Off.

"We will now be focusing on finding a new partner to develop the familiar show that the British public turn to in their millions.

"Love Productions would like to thank the BBC for the role it played in making this show such an enormous hit, and the faith they showed in us over the years to develop it.”

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