Bake Off finalists Sophie and Steven are going on a baking holiday – why aren't Channel 4 going along too?
The two finalists have become 'Baking Best Friends Forever' and are heading off on holiday. We thought this was ripe for a spin-off, but apparently not...
As the credits rolled on the final of The Great British Bake Off, we were treated to arguably what is always the best bit from 10 weeks of tent action. Yep, it was recap time.
We discovered that Julia, Yan and Flo had embarked on some Carpool Karaoke capers and that "Stacey's obsession with pink has reached new levels". How exciting.
Anyway, the longest and most lingering slides were saved for the end, where we discovered that eventual winner Sophie Faldo and runner-up Steven Carter-Bailey had become BBFFs.
Yep, they're Baking Best Friends Forever, and to prove it, they posed together in a photo and held up matching #Substance and #Style Post-It notes. The picture seemed to have been taken in one of their houses, with the update further revealing how the pair now meet up when they can.
"They’re planning to go on holiday together," the credits continued. "They’re going to Scandinavia…to visit bakeries…and see the Northern Lights."
Cut.
The second we saw this we had one thought and one thought alone. Surely we've just been primed for a Bake Off 2017 spin-off? Channel 4 commissioners would undoubtedly be clapping their hands with glee that two of the finalists have become genuinely close friends to the point where they're already planning a gastronomic tour abroad.
Cameras could accompany Sophie and Steven around some of the northern hemisphere's best bakeries, as they tasted treats together, gave us mini masterclasses and maybe even did silly challenges where they would be pit against one another. Steven in particular has shown himself over the past few months to be a really engaging presenter while he bakes, demonstrating his top tips for testing mixture rigidity and being very entertaining to watch.
So in our excitement we even thought of a name: Sophie & Steven’s Scandinavian Showstoppers.
Looking back, 2015 winner Nadiya Hussain has already hosted two similar foodie programmes - The Chronicles of Nadiya and Nadiya British Food Adventure. Meanwhile Bake Off, drawing 7.3 million viewers for its final, has become the biggest loaf in C4's oven. No doubt they would revel in the opportunity to expand on this popularity even further?
But then we asked Channel 4 and much to our surprise, this apparently definitely isn't happening.
We're sure that in the wake of the utter madness of Bake Off, Sophie and Steven will together relish some time away from the cameras and get the chance to enjoy the pastries, cakes and breads of Scandinavia in peace.
Plus of course we've got next year's Bake Off to (already) look forward to, but losing out on this seemingly perfect opportunity for a Bake Off spin-off feels like a rather soggy-bottomed decision.
