Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc quit Great British Bake Off over Channel 4 move

The pair have confirmed they are leaving the show
Ben Travis14 September 2016

The first casualty of the Great British Bake Off’s move to Channel 4 is here.

Presenters Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc have announced they’ll be quitting the show when it leaves the BBC.

Channel 4 yesterday outbid the BBC to continue the show past 2016, and will air a celebrity series in 2017.

The move sparked uncertainty over whether the presenters and judges would remain on the show.

Giedroyc and Perkins said they were "shocked" by the news but agreed to say no to the "dough" as they were staunchly against a move to a rival broadcaster.

In a joint statement they said: "We were very shocked and saddened to learn yesterday evening that Bake Off will be moving from its home.

"We made no secret of our desire for the show to remain where it was.

"The BBC nurtured the show from its infancy and helped give it its distinctive warmth and charm, growing it from an audience of two million to nearly 15 [million] at its peak.

"We've had the most amazing time on Bake Off, and have loved seeing it rise and rise like a pair of yeasted Latvian baps.

"We're not going with the dough. We wish all the future bakers every success."

Following the news that the show was moving channels, Perkins retweeted a BBC statement which read: “Working with Love Productions, we have grown and nurtured the programme over seven series and created the huge hit it is today.

“We made a very strong offer to keep the show but we are a considerable distance apart on the money. The BBC’s resources are not infinite.

Great British Bake Off 2016 - contestants in pictures

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“GBBO is a quintessentially BBC programme. We hope Love Productions change their mind so that Bake Off can stay ad free on BBC One.”

It is currently unknown whether judges Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry will remain in the series.

Speaking earlier this year on Top Gear, Hollywood told Chris Evans: “It's not up to us, it's up to the production company, but as far as Mary, Mel, Sue and myself are concerned we want to stay on the BBC.”

Channel 4 bid £75 million to get the hit baking contest for three years – with the BBC reaching a limit of £15 million per year, reportedly double the amount it currently pays.

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