A Daily Mail review says The Great British Bake Off has shifted from homely baking to tasks that require "engineering, architectural and artistic skills," with a recent biscuit challenge singled out as emblematic of the change.
Christopher Stevens, the paper's TV critic, wrote that judges warned contestants their showstopper round would demand skills beyond traditional baking, and that some competitors appeared to need a "degree in dunking." The episode, part of the Channel 4 series that returned last week, included complex visual work and precise construction alongside standard baking technique.
Stevens pointed to examples intended to show how the series has evolved. A previous episode required decorating a Swiss roll with intricate designs including a honeycomb with bees, a flower motif described as "passion petals," and a depiction of Queen's University Belfast. The more recent biscuit showstopper involved bakers producing oblong loaves with picture patterns running through them — likened in the review to the patterns in a stick of rock — which were then sliced into individual biscuits bearing portraits, pet faces and other detailed images.
Judges on the programme included Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, with presenters Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond. Stevens quoted both judges, saying Hollywood warned about the technical demands and Leith asked for "brave and witty" creations. Stevens criticized the pairing of high technical expectations with admonitions to "keep it simple," writing that the show has abandoned the straightforwardness that once defined it.
The review described moments of harsh criticism from Hollywood. Stevens reported that Hollywood dismissed a contestant named Aaron's showstopper as "awful" despite praising the baking, reducing the baker to near tears. Another baker, Toby, won the technical challenge for a second consecutive week by producing chocolate-coated iced caramel hobnobs, but was later chastised when his showstopper was judged to favour style over substance. Stevens recounted Hollywood's remarks to other bakers, including comments that a biscuit required a "machete" to cut and a taunt about icing "piped through a hose."
Stevens also suggested some banter on screen felt scripted, citing an exchange between Hammond and contestant Leighton about a past Celebrity Bake Off appearance. The critic framed those moments as further evidence that the programme now emphasizes spectacle and theatricality in ways that can penalize simple, traditional bakes.
The review was published Sept. 9, 2025, and updated early on Sept. 10. It reflects one critic's view of the current series' direction rather than an industry consensus; Channel 4's series has in recent years experimented with more elaborate technical and showstopper challenges while maintaining a large audience. Stevens concluded by questioning whether the complicated creations are necessary for what many viewers still regard as a straightforward tea‑time staple: "Does it really have to be any more than that?"