A Great British Bake Off Halloween special was considered unsettling enough to receive a trigger warning for its spooky edition.
The Channel 4 favourite, typically broadcast pre-9pm watershed, flagged the first-ever Halloween Week from 2022 as "isn't suitable for younger viewers". This cautionary note appeared on the online episode under a prominent red "Guidance" icon. Initially featured on the app and website before playback, it has now disappeared, reports the Mirror.
Presenters Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas were seen in Halloween costumes, whilst the set was adorned with thematic decorations like balloons and skeletons. Contestants, including ultimate winner Syabira Yusoff, crafted apple and pumpkin creations for judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood.
Such warnings are usually attached to content with strong language or violence but have been applied to dated sitcoms too. Tory big gun Sir John Hayes commented on the peculiar prompt to The Sun: "Most people find these types of trigger warnings very bizarre. The idea that the Great British Bake Off could be risky or dangerous is for the birds."
Channel 4 chiefs have owned up to an oversight after mistakenly slapping a warning label on The Great British Bake Off, which has now been retracted with the admission that it was a blunder. A Channel 4 representative explained: "The Great British Bake Off is a family show, loved by audiences of all ages. Any guidance warnings were applied in error."
This comes on the heels of Paul Hollywood's recent remarks about the increasing difficulty of judging the beloved baking contest as it progresses and the competition tightens.
Paul Hollywood, who has been a staple judge on the programme since its original airing nearly 15 years ago on the BBC, divulged to TV Times: "It gets harder as you go through, as there's so little between the bakers. We used to worry over whether enough good people would apply for the show, but now we think, 'How are we going to judge them? ' as they're so good from the start."
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
English (US) ·