Filming of The Great British Bake Off delayed due to coronavirus
Production on the eleventh series of the hit baking show was set to begin next month
It's bad news for fans of The Great British Bake Off as the show becomes the latest UK show to be hit by delays as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Filming had been set to begin on the eleventh series of the hit Channel 4 baking contest next month, but, in light of the current public health crisis, it has been postponed indefinitely.
As reported by Deadline, a spokesperson said, "We continue to monitor the situation and follow the advice of Public Health England and we will delay filming on Bake Off until it is safe to proceed.”
The series will be the first since Sandi Toksvig announced that she was stepping down as a presenter following three years on the show — with Matt Lucas set to join Noel Fielding as a new host.
Lucas had previously told BBC Radio 2 that he had suspected production would be "a bit delayed."
The series is normally filmed between April and July, in the show's iconic white tent in Welford Park, Newbury, before being broadcast from August to November.
No announcement has yet been made on whether the delay in filming will lead to a change in the broadcast dates.
Bake Off is one of many hit shows to have been impacted by the coronavirus, which has led to a slew of delays and cancellations across the industry.
The fourth episode of the current series of Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer is airing on Channel 4 on Tuesday, starring James Blunt, Alison Hammond, Alex Jones and Joe Sugg.
Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.