Great British Bake Off issues trigger warning for first time in show's history

A Great British Bake Off Halloween special was spooky enough to warrant a trigger warning for its eerie episode. The Channel 4 hit, which typically airs pre-watershed, flagged up a notice for its inaugural Halloween Week from 2022, cautioning that it "isn't suitable for younger viewers".

The heads-up was spotted on the online stream of the series' sixth instalment from that year, popping up on the app and website before viewers pressed play, though it has since vanished, as The Sun revealed. Presenters Noel Fielding and his 2022 sidekick Matt Lucas were decked out in Halloween garb, with the baking tent kitted out with balloons, mock skeletons, and cobwebs for the event.

Bakers, including champion Syabira Yusoff, were challenged to whip up apple and pumpkin treats for judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood, reports Wales Online. While such warnings are often slapped on shows featuring strong language, violence, or nudity, they've also been slapped on vintage comedies for "language of the time".

Senior Tory MP Sir John Hayes weighed in on the peculiar alert, telling 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."

In a blunder, Channel 4 bosses have admitted they mistakenly slapped a warning symbol on The Great British Bake Off and have since rectified it, referring to it as an oversight. A spokesperson for Channel 4 clarified: "The Great British Bake Off is a family show, loved by audiences of all ages. Any guidance warnings were applied in error," according to the Mirror.

This revelation follows Paul Hollywood, the esteemed judge of the baking competition, discussing the challenges of judging contestants as the series advances, with the competition heating up.

Paul Hollywood, who has been a constant judge since the show's inception nearly 15 years ago on the BBC, shared his thoughts with 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."