BBC accuses Channel 4 of cynically moving Great British Bake Off to clash with its new baking show

The BBC has accused Channel 4 of being “cynical”, after it rescheduled its flagship cooking programme to avoid a clash with the new version of the Great British Bake Off.

The BBC’s Big Family Cooking Showdown – presented by Nadiya Hussain, a former Bake Off winner – began on Tuesday at 8pm.

But Channel 4, which bought the rights to Bake Off last year, announced on Wednesday their version of the show would be aired at the same time.

The BBC responded by moving the show’s slot.

Bake Off became a household name and was the most watched programme on TV in 2016.

Its sale to the rival channel was met with outrage in some quarters, and the only presenter to return to the Channel 4 version was Paul Hollywood.

He will host and judge along with cook Prue Leith and comedians Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding.

In a statement, the BBC hit out at Channel 4 and revealed they would be moving the Cooking Showdown to a Thursday evening slot "in the best interest of viewers".

A spokeswoman said: "Channel 4's decision to move Bake Off from its long-term traditional Wednesday slot will be a surprise to many viewers who may see this as a cynical move.

"We never intended for our new cookery show to clash with theirs. There is room for both and we don't, in this instance, see any public value in two public service broadcasters going head to head in this way.

"We will therefore move our show to Thursday in the best interest of viewers to avoid such a clash."

The Big Family Cooking Showdown is presented Zoe Ball, and cooks Rosemary Shrager and Giorgio Locatelli, along with Ms Hussain.

Channel 4 said: "We made the decision about where to schedule The Great British Bake Off a few months after acquiring it and we haven't moved it since then.

"It is in the original Tuesday evening slot where the majority of past series have played."