The Great British Bake Off final brings bumper audience to Channel 4 - BBC News
The 9.2 million viewers give Channel 4 its highest overnight ratings for at least 18 years.
Matt Lucas (right) joined the show as a co-host this year

Tuesday's Great British Bake Off final earned Channel 4 its biggest overnight ratings for at least 18 years.

An average of 9.2 million viewers saw Peter Sawkins triumph - the highest overnight audience for a Bake Off show since its move from BBC One in 2017.

The figure was a third up on last year's final, which drew an overnight audience of 6.9 million.

Channel 4 said this year's final was its most-watched programme "since modern records began in 2002".

Peter, 20, became the show's youngest winner to date, and the first Scottish winner, when he beat Laura Adlington and Dave Friday.

The previous highest overnight rating for a Bake Off episode on Channel 4 was the 2017 final, which attracted 7.7 million viewers.

The last Bake Off final to air on BBC One drew an overnight audience of 14 million in 2016. Overnight ratings count how many people watched live or later the same night.

Peter is the show's youngest ever winner

This year's series, which had a shorter production period than usual due to the coronavirus pandemic, saw Matt Lucas replace the departing co-host Sandi Toksvig.

It also saw judge Paul Hollywood step in to defend Laura after she faced criticism on social media for making it to the final at another baker's expense.

Tuesday's final ended with a poignant on-screen tribute to 2014 contestant Luis Troyano, who died earlier this year at the age of 48.

This year's series will be followed by two highlights programmes celebrating the culinary contest's 10 years on British television.

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