Prepare for the best series of Bake Off yet, says judge Paul Hollywood

Paul Hollywood has said the Great British Bake Off has not changed despite its move from BBC to Channel 4 and the departure of fellow judge Mary Berry and presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins.

The programme was the most-watched on British television last year and the news of its move, along with the exit of key talent, caused some fans to panic that its character would change beyond recognition. But those involved with the programme were eager to reassure viewers at a launch event before its return to screens next Tuesday.

“The feeling [of the show] is exactly the same,” said Hollywood, whose decision to go to Channel 4 was compared unfavourably by some to his former co-stars’ loyalty to the BBC.

And he insisted that baking standards in the eighth series were higher than ever, with this being “the best year” yet. Fans who were sceptical, he said, would be won over by the first episode. “It’s about the Bake Off not the people. Once they watch the first episode they will love it,” he said.

Hollywood, the only one of the original stars to have remained following producers’ £75m three-year deal with Channel 4, will be joined in the new series by judge Prue Leith and presenters Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding.

Toksvig echoed Hollywood’s promises that no rash changes had been made, saying: “I have enormous respect for the show and we don’t want to break it.”

Jay Hunt, the chief creative officer of Channel 4, said the broadcaster was prepared for a backlash over the relaunch and was “not naive” about the fact that it could be criticised.

But she was unapologetic about her vision for the show, which she has previously described as “Britain’s favourite show with a Channel 4 twist”. Asked what the twists were, she pointed to the hiring of comedian Fielding and said the pairing of him with Toksvig was a “punt”. However, she said the new episodes have “completely exceeded my expectations”.

Last year’s Bake Off final was watched by a peak audience of 14.8 million on BBC1, but viewing figures for the new series are likely to be significantly down on that. Channel 4’s highest ever audience is 13.8 million, for the drama series A Woman of Substance in 1985, while Big Brother brought in almost 10 million viewers at the peak of its popularity at the start of the millennium.

Hunt refused to be drawn on what would represent a success for Channel 4, saying: “We are going into it not expecting anything other than a strong performance.”

The cost of purchasing Bake Off means there is a lot riding on the programme being a commercial success for the channel. The broadcaster has resisted the temptation to offer advertisers the chance to pay for product placement to protect the integrity of the show, but it has signed sponsorship deals with Lyle’s Golden Syrup and Dr Oetker worth an estimated £4m.

Hunt, who oversaw the purchase last year but will leave the broadcaster this year, said Channel 4 had thought carefully about how to place advertising breaks and that she hoped that viewers would find it “seamless”. The show will still be an hour long, meaning its slot on Channel 4 will be 75 minutes to accommodate the adverts.

However, Leith risked incurring the wrath of her bosses by going “off message” to suggest that viewers could record the show and fast-forward through the commercial breaks. According to reports, she said at the pre-screening of the first episode: “For some people who don’t want to watch it with adverts, you don’t have to watch it when it’s on, do you?”

BBC and Channel 4 have already clashed about the scheduling of the show at 8pm on a Tuesday.

The BBC accused Channel 4 of a “cynical move” by scheduling the return of Bake Off against its new cooking programme The Big Family Cooking Showdown. However, the corporation has prevented a ratings battle with its public service rival by moving its cookery show, hosted by the former Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain, to a Thursday.

Hollywood insisted he was not aware of the row because he had just returned from holiday, but he described the rescheduling of The Big Family Cooking Showdown as “immaterial”.

The judge faced criticism on social media after it was revealed last year that he was staying with the show despite its move to Channel 4 and the departure of Berry, Giedroyc and Perkins.

However, in an interview with the Radio Times before Bake Off’s return, Hollywood hit back at his critics and said claims that he was a traitor “smarted”.

“Been there, seen it, done it. I’ve learnt to accept it. I’m a bit of a punchbag. Punch me hard, and it bounces back at you,” he said.

“What was I a traitor to? I’d just recorded a car show with the BBC, so I hadn’t left the BBC. I hadn’t left Bake Off. Normally as a traitor, you turn your back on something. I didn’t turn my back on anything. But everyone’s got an agenda, you can’t change that.”

Fielding, an actor as well as a comedian, said of his arrival on the show: “I just wanted to slot in and help it move along.”

Toksvig and Leith admitted they did not intend to watch Bake Off because they did not enjoy watching themselves on television. However, Leith, a novelist as well as a chef, said: “It really is a show that wants to give the bakers the best opportunity to shine. I have never enjoyed myself as much as on this show.”