The Great Australian Bake Off
The Great Australian Bake Off is an Australian television baking series that is based on the BBC baking competition The Great British Bake Off.[1] The series first premiered on 9 July 2013 on the Nine Network and ran for one season with presenters Shane Jacobson and Anna Gare and judges Dan Lepard and Kerry Vincent.[2]
| The Great Australian Bake Off | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Baking, cooking |
| Presented by |
|
| Judges |
|
| Opening theme | "Build Me Up Buttercup" by Mike d'Abo & Tony Macaulay (Season 1) |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 39 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Lara Hopkins (2013) |
| Producers | Euan Jones (2013) Leigh McSwan (2013) Dana Michell (2013) |
| Production locations | Werribee Park Mansion (2013) Yaralla Estate (2015) Sydney, New South Wales (2018-) |
| Cinematography | Sam Collines (2013) |
| Editor | Anthony Cox (2013) |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production companies | Love Productions (2013) Fremantle Australia (2015-) |
| Release | |
| Original network | Nine Network (2013) LifeStyle Food (2015-2016) LifeStyle (2018-) |
| Picture format | 576i (SDTV) |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 9 July 2013 – present |
| External links | |
| Website | |
On 1 April 2015 it was announced that the series had been picked up by pay television channel LifeStyle Food and production company FremantleMedia Australia for a second season which premiered on 13 October 2015 with presenters Claire Hooper and Mel Buttle and judges Maggie Beer and Matt Moran.[3][4]
Format
The programme operates on a weekly elimination process to find the best all-round baker from the contestants who are all amateurs, where in each episode the bakers are tasked with 3 different challenges; a signature bake, a technical bake and a show-stopper. The bakes are critically examined by the judges who will then choose a "Baker of the week" and a baker that is eliminated from the competition. Ten contestants were chosen for the first season.
- Signature Challenge: This challenge is for the amateur bakers to show off their tried-and-tested recipes that are rustic and altogether home-made-looking.
- Technical Challenge: This challenge shows who can follow instructions, but who also has the technical knowledge and experience to produce the finished product. The bakers are all given the same recipe and are not told beforehand what the challenge will be. The finished product is ranked from worst to best, with the judges not knowing who produced which.
- Showstopper Challenge: This challenge is for the bakers to show off their skills and talent. The judges are looking for a bake that is both of a professional appearance but also in taste.
Hosts and judges
| Hosts/Judges | Season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| Current | ||||||
| Claire Hooper[5] | Host | |||||
| Mel Buttle[6] | Host | |||||
| Maggie Beer[7] | Judge | |||||
| Matt Moran[8] | Judge | |||||
| Former | ||||||
| Shane Jacobson | Host | |||||
| Anna Gare | Host | |||||
| Dan Lepard | Judge | |||||
| Kerry Vincent | Judge | |||||
Season overview
| Season | Network | Originally Aired | Runners-up | Winner | Prize | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiere | Finale | |||||
| One | Nine Network | 9 July 2013 | 27 August 2013 | Jonathan Gurfinkel | Nancy Ho | Kitchen Renovation |
| Maria Vella | Retreat Holiday | |||||
| Two | LifeStyle Food | 13 October 2015 | 15 December 2015 | Jasmin Hartley | Sian Redgrave | None |
| Susie
Stefanidis | ||||||
| Three | 11 October 2016 | 14 December 2016 | Monica Cavallaro | Olivia McMahon | ||
| Antonio Marcora | ||||||
| Four | LifeStyle | 18 January 2018 | 22 March 2018 | Barb Dunn | Claudia Anton | |
| Dave Yan | ||||||
| Five | 3 October 2019 | 5 December 2019 | David Hills | Sunny Nasir Ahmad | ||
| Dan Pasquali | ||||||
Season 1 (2013)
Season 1 of The Great Australian Bake Off saw ten home bakers take part in a bake-off to test their baking skills as they battled to be crowned The Great Australian Bake Off's best amateur baker. Each week saw the bakers put through three challenges in a particular discipline.
The three finalists were Jonathan Gurfinkel, Maria Vella and Nancy Ho. On 27 August 2013, Nancy Ho was crowned the best amateur baker.[9]
| Baker | Age | Occupation | Hometown | Competition Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nancy Ho | 22 | Architecture Graduate | Brisbane, Queensland | Season Winner |
| Jonathan Gurfinkel | 35 | I.T. Guy | Melbourne, Victoria | Season Runner-Up |
| Maria Vella | 45 | Workplace Trainer | Melbourne, Victoria | Season Runner-Up |
| Monique Bowley | 30 | Former WNBL Star | Adelaide, South Australia | Eliminated (Episode 7) |
| Brendan Garlick | 21 | Uni Student | Springwood, New South Wales | Eliminated (Episode 6) |
| Julie Bonanno | 41 | Farm Mum | Shepparton, Victoria | Eliminated (Episode 5) |
| Mark Bartter | 52 | Chartered Accountant | Sydney, New South Wales | Eliminated (Episode 4) |
| Sara-Jane Smith | 30 | School Teacher | Melbourne, Victoria | Eliminated (Episode 3) |
| Bliss Nixon | 23 | Trivia Host | Gold Coast, Queensland | Eliminated (Episode 2) |
| Steve Lovett | 28 | Boxer | Canberra, Australian Capital Territory | Eliminated (Episode 1) |
Season 2 (2015)
Season 2 of The Great Australian Bake Off will see twelve home bakers take part in a bake-off to test their baking skills as they battled to be crowned The Great Australian Bake Off's best amateur baker. The 10-part season will premiere on 13 October 2015.[10]
The three finalists were Jasmin Hartley, Sian Redgrave and Suzy Stefanidis. On 15 December 2015, Sian was crowned the best amateur baker.[11]
| Baker | Age | Occupation | Hometown | Competition Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sian Redgrave | 23 | Fashion boutique stylist | Perth, Western Australia | Season Winner |
| Jasmin Hartley | 27 | Barista | Mackay, Queensland | Season Runner-Up |
| Suzy Stefanidis | 45 | Stay at home mum | Melbourne, Victoria | Season Runner-Up |
| Angela Fleay | 47 | Truck driver | Melbourne, Victoria | Eliminated (Episode 9) |
| James Dunsmore | 31 | Food historian | Sydney, New South Wales | Eliminated (Episode 8) |
| Nathan Taylor | 19 | Student | Perth, Western Australia | Eliminated (Episode 7) |
| Ben Brown | 37 | Mining inventory planner | Emerald, Queensland | Eliminated (Episode 6) |
| Brendan Eilola | 43 | IT specialist | Brisbane, Queensland | Eliminated (Episode 5) |
| Janice Tan | 34 | Management consultant | Sydney, New South Wales | Eliminated (Episode 4) |
| Meg Moorcroft | 20 | Student | Adelaide, South Australia | Eliminated (Episode 3) |
| Mariana Gates | 55 | Volunteer worker | Gold Coast, Queensland | Eliminated (Episode 2) |
| Dr. Peter "Pete" Rankin | 58 | Doctor | Melbourne, Victoria | Eliminated (Episode 1) |
Season 3 (2016)
Season 3 of The Great Australian Bake Off will see twelve home bakers take part in a bake-off to test their baking skills as they battled to be crowned The Great Australian Bake Off's best amateur baker. The 10-part season will premiere on 11 October 2016.[12]
The three finalists were Monica Cavallaro, Olivia McMahon and Antonio Marcona. On 13 December 2016, Olivia was crowned the best amateur baker.[13]
| Baker | Age | Occupation | Hometown | Competition Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olivia McMahon | 37 | Fine Dining Waitress | Brisbane, Queensland | Season Winner |
| Monica Cavallaro | 43 | Retail Manager | Sydney, New South Wales | Season Runner-Up |
| Antonio Marcora | 16 | School Student | Sydney, New South Wales | Season Runner-Up |
| Liesel Morgan | 20 | University Student | Perth, Western Australia | Eliminated (Episode 9) |
| Fiona Nguyen | 32 | Patent & Trademark Lawyer | Brisbane, Queensland | Eliminated (Episode 8) |
| James Rudd | 26 | IT Technical Support | Perth, Western Australia | Eliminated (Episode 7) |
| Noel Button | 59 | Retired Teacher | Launceston, Tasmania | Eliminated (Episode 6) |
| Jeremy Allan | 30 | Welding & Vessel Inspector | Adelaide, South Australia | Eliminated (Episode 5) |
| Bojan Petrovic | 37 | Tow Truck Business Owner | Canberra, Australian Capital Territory | Eliminated (Episode 4) |
| Diana Gyllen | 29 | Model | Sydney, New South Wales | Eliminated (Episode 3) |
| Cheryl Roberts | 59 | Horse Trainer | Berry, New South Wales | Eliminated (Episode 2) |
| Janette Betts | 62 | Palliative Care Nurse | Melbourne, Victoria | Eliminated (Episode 1) |
Season 4 (2018)
Production on season 4 of the series began in May 2017.[14] It premiered on 18 January 2018, and moved from Lifestyle Food to the main LifeStyle channel.[15]
The three finalists were Claudia Anton, Barb Dunn & Dave Yan. On 22 March 2018, Claudia was crowned the best amateur baker.[16]
| Baker | Age | Occupation | Hometown | Competition Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claudia Anton | 48 | Psychiatrist | Melbourne, Victoria | Season Winner |
| Barb Dunn | 37 | Finance Manager | Brisbane, Queensland | Season Runner-Up |
| Dave Yan | 35 | Accountant | Sydney, New South Wales | Season Runner-Up |
| Chris Asquith | 32 | System Administrator | Newcastle, New South Wales | Eliminated (Episode 9) |
| Raeesa Khatree | 37 | Health Store Worker (Former lawyer) | Brisbane, Queensland | Eliminated (Episode 8) |
| Robert Harwood | 34 | I.T. Administrator | Perth, Western Australia | Eliminated (Episode 7) |
| Marcus Matear | 27 | Dentist | Melbourne, Victoria | Eliminated (Episode 6) |
| Michelle Trevorrow | 64 | Retiree | Melbourne, Victoria | Eliminated (Episode 5) |
| Emma Sievwright | 23 | Science Graduate | Brisbane, Queensland | Eliminated (Episode 4) |
| Max Fetiveau | 28 | Plasterer | Brisbane, Queensland | Eliminated (Episode 3) |
| Alex Papadopoulos | 47 | Building Material Importer | Melbourne, Victoria | Eliminated (Episode 2) |
| Jessica Osborne | 28 | Sales Co-ordinator | Brisbane, Queensland | Eliminated (Episode 1) |
Season 5 (2019)
Season 5 of The Great Australian Bake Off will see twelve home bakers take part in a bake-off to test their baking skills as they battled to be crowned The Great Australian Bake Off's best amateur baker. The 10-part season premiered on 3 October 2019.[17]
| Baker | Age | Occupation | Hometown | Competition Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny | 26 | PHD Science Student | Sydney, New South Wales | Season Winner |
| Dan | 35 | Research Scientist | Brisbane, Queensland | Season Runner-Up |
| David | 41 | Project Manager | Melbourne, Victoria | Season Runner-Up |
| Don | 55 | Superannuation Consultant | Sydney, New South Wales | Eliminated (Episode 9) |
| Angela | 36 | Truck driver | Melbourne, Victoria | Eliminated (Episode 8) |
| Wynn | 36 | Disability Services Manager | Sydney, New South Wales | Eliminated (Episode 7) |
| Anston | 28 | Student Voice Officer | Sydney, New South Wales | Eliminated (Episode 6) |
| Sue | 70 | Retired Bank Manager | Sydney, New South Wales | Eliminated (Episode 4) |
| Dennis | 71 | Retired Maths Teacher | Melbourne, Victoria | Eliminated (Episode 3) |
| Laura | 22 | Cafe Manager | New South Wales | Left (Episode 3) |
| Annette | 48 | Account Manager | Gold Coast, Queensland | Eliminated (Episode 2) |
| Zee | 39 | Marriage Celebrant | Melbourne, Victoria | Eliminated (Episode 1) |
Ratings
| Season | Network | Episodes | Premiere | Finale | Average viewers | Average rank | Ref | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiere date | Premiere ratings |
Rank | Finale date | Grand Finale ratings | Rank | ||||||
| 1 | Nine Network | 8 | 9 July 2013 | 1,119,000 | #5 | 27 August 2013 | 760,000 | #13 | 834,000 | #12 | [18][19] |
| 2 | Lifestyle Food | 10 | 13 October 2015 | 104,000 | #1 | 15 December 2015 | 136,000 | #1 | 108,000 | #1 | [20][21] |
| 3 | 11 October 2016 | 96,000 | #3 | 13 December 2016 | 140,000 | #1 | 108,000 | #2 | [22][23] | ||
| 4 | LifeStyle | 18 January 2018 | 103,000 | #1 | 22 March 2018 | 162,000 | #3 | 106,000 | #2 | [24][25] | |
| 5 | 3 October 2019 | 110,000 | #1 | 5 December 2019 | 95,000 | #1 | 95,000 | #1 | [26][27] | ||
Broadcast
| Season | Network | Originally aired | Episodes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiere | Finale | |||
| 1 | Nine Network | 9 July 2013 | 27 August 2013 | 8 |
| 2 | LifeStyle Food | 13 October 2015 | 15 December 2015 | 10 |
| 3 | 11 October 2016 | 13 December 2016 | ||
| 4 | LifeStyle | 18 January 2018 | 22 March 2018 | |
| 5 | 3 October 2019 | 5 December 2019 | ||
References
- "The Great Australian Bake Off: Contestants". Foxtel. 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- "Quick Chat with The Great Australian Bake Off Judge Dan Lepard". The Family Kitchen. 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
- Knox, David (1 April 2015). "Foxtel picks up The Great Australian Bake Off". TV Tonight. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
- Knox, David (13 July 2015). "Claire Hooper, Mel Buttle to host The Great Australian Bake Off". TV Tonight. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
- "The Great Australian Bake Off: Contestants". Foxtel. 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- "The Great Australian Bake Off: Contestants". Foxtel. 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- "The Great Australian Bake Off: Production commences for third season". Foxtel. 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- "The Great Australian Bake Off: Contestants". Foxtel. 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- Knox, David (28 August 2013). "Nancy wins The Great Australian Bakeoff". TV Tonight. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- Knox, David (14 September 2015). "Maggie Beer sings A Spoonful of Sugar in LifeStyle promo". TV Tonight. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- Knox, David (16 December 2015). "Sian wins The Great Australian Bake Off". TV Tonight. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- Knox, David (12 September 2016). "Returning: The Great Australian Bake Off 2016". TV Tonight. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
- Knox, David (14 December 2016). "Olivia wins Great Australian Bake Off". TV Tonight. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- Knox, David (15 May 2017). "Great Australian Bake-Off cooking up new storm". TV Tonight. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- "The Great Australian Bake Off is back". Lifestyle. 6 December 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
- Knox, David (22 March 2018). "Claudia wins The Great Australian Bake Off 2018". TV Tonight. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
- Knox, David (5 September 2019). "Returning: The Great Australian Bake Off 2019". TV Tonight. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
- Knox, David (10 July 2013). "Tuesday 9 July 2013". TV Tonight. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
- Knox, David (28 August 2013). "Tuesday 27 August 2013". TV Tonight. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
- Knox, David (12 October 2015). "Tuesday 13 October 2015". TV Tonight. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
- Knox, David (14 December 2015). "Tuesday 15 December 2015". TV Tonight. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
- Knox, David (12 October 2016). "Tuesday 11 October 2016". TV Tonight. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
- Knox, David (14 December 2016). "Tuesday 13 December 2016". TV Tonight. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- Molk, Steve (29 January 2018). "Thursday 25 January 2018". Decider TV. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
- Knox, David (23 March 2018). "Thursday 22 March 2018". TV Tonight. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- Knox, David (4 October 2019). "Thursday 3 October 2019". TV Tonight. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- Knox, David (19 March 2020). "Thursday 5 December 2019". TV Tonight. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
External links
- The Great Australian Bake Off
- The Great Australian Bake Off on Bakers Corner website
- The Great Australian Bake Off at IMDb
- The Great Australian Bake Off on Twitter
