Although preparations were severely hampered by the pandemic, Bake Off remains a delight – even if no one needed to see Freddie Mercury and Bob Marley immortalised in sponge

What a week for The Great British Bake Off (Channel 4) to return. I am not sure there could have been a more appropriate time for this cosiest of television shows to come back, bringing with it the promise of a weekly distraction in the form of cake, bread and 12 decent people supporting each other through thick and thin batter. Until there is another panicked run on flour, eggs and yeast, that is, and we are left trying to join in with bread week using a three-year-old bag of tapioca flour and some out-of-date spices that may or may not have any flavour left in them, depending on which way you sniff them.

In some ways, this series is far from business as usual. Filming was delayed by the pandemic; when it eventually began, the tent had moved to a new location and the bakers and presenters had formed a superbubble. Sandi Toksvig has gone, replaced by Matt Lucas. At first, Lucas wears the look of a competition winner getting his lifelong wish of a tour of the tent. He looks genuinely thrilled to be there and a little overwhelmed. There is a bit of tentative newness at the start – “Are you a fan of battenberg?” he asks more than one baker, during the battenberg challenge – but he settles in quickly. Soon, it is as if he has always been there. It helps that he and Noel Fielding are friends; their rapport is lovely to watch.

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