The Great British Bake Off series 8

Theeighth seriesofThe Great British Bake Offbegan on 29 August 2017,with this being the first ofThe Great British Bake Offto be broadcast onChannel 4, after the production company Love Productions moved the show fromBBC One.It is the first series for new hostsNoel FieldingandSandi Toksvig, and new judgePrue Leith.
This series was won bySophie Faldo, with Kate Lyon and Steven Carter-Bailey finishing as runners-up.
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For the first challenge, the bakers were instructed to make a cake using fresh fruit, with no dried fruit permitted, in two hours. For the technical challenge, the bakers were instructed to make twelve chocolatemini rollsusing Prue Leith's recipe which containspeppermintcream, in two hours. The showstopper challenge required the bakers to make an illusion cake: a cake that appears to be some other object. They had four hours to complete the task.
For the signature challenge, the bakers were instructed to make 24sandwich biscuitsin two hours and fifteen minutes. For the technical challenge, the bakers faced a very difficult challenge of makingfortune cookiesof two types of flavours – six almond and six orange, in two hours. For the final showstopper challenge, the bakers were required to make a biscuitboard gamethat should be at least 40 cm (16 in) long in diameter and has at least eight elements in3+1⁄2hours.
The bakers were instructed to make twelveteacakesin2+3⁄4hours in the signature challenge. For the technical challenge, the bakers were tasked to make acottage loafin2+1⁄2hours. For the showstopper challenge, the bakers were required to make a multicoloured bread sculpture with at least three colours using natural food colouring in4+1⁄2hours.
For the first signature challenge, the bakers were required to produce eighteen identicalmillionaire shortbreadbars in two hours and fifteen minutes. The technical challenge was set by Prue Leith where the bakers were tasked to make twelvestroopwafelsin one hour and forty-five minutes. Only one test waffle was allowed, and the challenge proved to be a very difficult one for the bakers with none of them producing an adequatecaramel. For the final showstopper challenge, the bakers were required to make a caramel cake consisting of at least three layers ofspongein3+1⁄2hours. They were required to incorporatespun sugarinto their decorations.
For the signature challenge, the eight remaining bakers were required to bake asteamed school puddingwith an accompaniment such as acompoteor acustardin three hours. The technical challenge was set by Paul Hollywood where the bakers had to bake sixmolten chocolatepuddings with apeanut butterfilling in one hour. Each baker was called one at a time so their puddings could be ready at different times for Paul and Prue to judge (starting with Julia, followed by Sophie, Liam, Steven, Yan, Kate, James and finally Stacey). For the showstopper challenge, the bakers were asked to bake an ornamentaltrifleterrinewith three elements—a baked element, a setcustardormousse, and ajelly—in4+1⁄2hours .
In the signature challenge, the bakers were required to produce four decorative savoury pies usingshortcrust pastrywith different designs on the pies that share a common theme in2+1⁄2hours. For the technical challenge, set by Paul, the bakers were tasked to produce twelvepastéis de natausingrough puffpastry in two hours. For the final showstopper challenge, the bakers were required to produce a family-sized hand-raised pie with a savoury filling usinghot water crust pastry, topped with glazed fruits in four hours.
For the first ever Italian week in Bake Off, the bakers were given2+1⁄2hours to make the required eighteen SicilianCannoliswith three different types of fillings. This week's Italian technical challenge was set by Prue Leith, where the bakers were tasked to make the well-known, yet tricky,Pizza Margheritawith a thin crispy base in1+1⁄2hours. For the showstopper challenge, the bakers were required to make a very technically challenging and fiddly Italian bake: twenty-fourSfogliatelleswith two types of fillings in4+1⁄2hours.
The bakers were required to make 4Bedfordshire Clangerswithin two hours in the signature challenge. Each must contain a savoury filling at one end and a sweet filling at the other, and be made fromsuetcrust pastry. In the technical challenge, set by Paul Hollywood, the bakers were given 1⁄2hours to make a traditionalCumberland Rum Nicky: a large tart consisting of a sweetshortcrustpastry, arum-soaked fruity filling covered with alatticetop, and served with a smoothrum butter. For the historic showstopper, the bakers had 3⁄2hours to make a Victorian Savoy cake, a sponge cake baked in a mold, often in elaborate architectural shapes, with a hard sugar crust or coating that helped preserve it as it served as a banquet centrepiece.
For the semifinal signature bakes, the bakers were asked to make twenty-fourchouxbuns—twelve must have a crunchycraquelinon top, and the other twelve must be covered with icing—in2+1⁄2hours. For the technical challenge, which was set by Prue Leith, the bakers were tasked with a very difficult job of making nineLes Misérables slicesto be done in three hours. For the showstopper challenge before the final, the bakers were asked to make ameringuecentrepiece, containing at least two different types of meringue and a dessert element, in four hours and forty-five minutes.
For the signature challenge in the final, the last three bakers were tasked to make a batch of twelve small loaves. There must be three different types of loaves—four need to be intricately shaped (e.g. plaited), four need to be flavoured, and four need to be made from an alternative grain such asspeltorbuckwheat—in three hours. Prue set the final technical challenge, asking the bakers to make tenginger biscuits—five oval and five square—in2+1⁄2hours.They each should have a great snap and be intricately iced with two complicated patterns. For the ultimate showstopper challenge, the bakers were tasked to make one largeentremet, having a minimum of five elements, one of which must be asponge, and covered with aglazeorganache, all in five hours.
The two holiday specials each featured four returning contestants from the series 2–7.
The first special featured Selasi Gbormittah (Series 7), Val Stones (Series 7), Paul Jagger (Series 6) andBeca Lyne-Pirkis(Series 4). The competition was won by Paul Jagger.
The second special featured Benjamina Ebuehi (Series 7), Rav Bansal (Series 7), Sandy Docherty (Series 6) and Rob Billington (Series 2). The competition was won by Rav Bansal.
For the signature challenge, the bakers were given two hours to create a Christmas family favourite: aYule Log. The technical challenge was set by Prue, and allowed the bakers1+1⁄2hours to make twelvemince pieswith lattice tops, served withbrandy butter, with very limited instructions and ingredients provided. The showstopper challenge featured the bakers creating eightsnow globecakes using a sugar glass dome to encase an edible Christmas scene on top of anentremet.
The bakers were required to make six snowybombe Alaskatarts in the signature challenge. The technical challenge was set by Paul, where the bakers were tasked to make a pistachioKransekakeChristmas tree consisting of twelve layers of concentric rings, topped with a star. For the final showstopper challenge, the bakers were required to make a magical ice cake with elaborate sugar work that create a scene of winter wonderland.
Liam Charleswas chosen as a co-presenter for the revamped professional version ofGreat British Bake Off,Bake Off: The Professionals,and in 2019 returned as co-judge forJunior Bake Off.  He has written two recipe books on baking;Cheeky Treats: 70 Brilliant Bakes and Cakes,andSecond Helpings.
Sophie Faldoruns her own business, Sophie Faldo Cakes.She has also appeared in an episode of a travelogue TV seriesTravels with a Goat.
On 31 October 2017, judgePrue Leithaccidentally revealedSophie Faldoas the winner of the series  onTwittertwelve hours before the finale was due to air. This caused uproar among many fans of the show. She quickly deleted the tweet and apologised to the fans who saw the tweet.
The first episode to be broadcast on Channel 4 received an overnight viewing figure of 6.5 million, which is the channel's highest viewing figure since the opening ceremony for the2012 Paralympics, but down from the 10 million obtained in the previous series on BBC One.The overnight viewing figure for the final was 7.7 million (8.9 million at its peak), lower than the 14 million for the equivalent episode on BBC One in 2016.
Official episode viewing figures are fromBARB. Figures are total counts including HD and Channel 4 +1.