How Long Do GBBO Contestants Wait For Deliberations?

For fans of baking and eating tasty, lavishly decorated cakes, religious watching of "The Great British Bake Off" is a must. The joyful and upbeat baking competition is known as "The Great British Baking Show" in the U.S., and it's so popular that in 2020, it was the fifth most-watched show in America with a whopping 674 million minutes streamed (via Telegraph). GBBO is expected to return in 2023 with Season 14. In the upcoming season, Dame Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood are returning as judges, as well as the host Noel Fielding, while his co-host Matt Lucas will be replaced by someone else. For now, we don't know who that person will be (per The Guardian). 

In the meantime, you can apply to get cast on GBBO, but the selection process is quite arduous. Insider reports that Rav Bansal, from Season 7, said it's, "the longest application form in the history of forms." And later on, the selected candidates have to visit a psychologist. And if you make it through, you might wonder how long you have to wait for the judges' deliberations on your beautiful bakes. Luckily, we've got the answers to some of your questions about backstage shenanigans.

BBC Good Food talked to Mary Berry, who was a judge on the show, and Mel Giedroyc, who used to host "The Great British Bake Off" before it moved channels. During the conversation, they reflected on how long contestants have to wait for their bakes to be judged. Berry said that the deliberations could take half an hour, or judge Paul Hollywood and Berry just need to lock eyes and know who's getting kicked out. However, the judges must explain their decisions each time they taste the food, so the deliberations can also take quite a while. 

Giedroyc reminisced about a case from Season 1, in which it took five hours to make a single decision about the bakes. She humorously added that, "it was like waiting for a new Pope — extraordinary!" Hollywood shared his thoughts about the judging process on Instagram, writing, "Each week stands on its own! It never matters what any baker has done in previous weeks." So there you have it; Each week is a fresh start, regardless of any mishaps from the previous week. 

And if you thought your personality would get you through to the final, think again. Producer Sam Beddoes told BBC that personality is not that important — but baking is, so if you're thinking about applying, be ready to have your skills put to the test.