The BBC worldwide format is produced by Sideline for TV3.
After the success of the The Great Irish Bake Off last year, TV3 is set to film the second series of the show and is accepting entries now.
Presented by Anna Nolan, the TV3 show sees twelve passionate, non-professional bakers compete in the hope of being crowned Ireland’s Best Amateur Baker.
When the idea for the show was being developed last year, series producer Grainne O'Carroll, line producer Ciara Bresnihan and director Maurice Linnane all travelled to the UK location last year to witness the filming of the BBC/Love Production series. They returned certain that the show would translate well to an Irish audience.
The first series of ‘The Great Irish Bake Off’ pulled in an average share of 13.37% individual viewers weekly and had an average reach of 450,000. Executive producer Billy McGrath says the first series received “consistently positive feedback from BBCW and a very supportive TV3 plus of course from viewers and critics that ‘the show looked great’ - well cast, produced, directed, designed and edited. [This] really drove home the fact that we have the talent here to produce international shows along with the best.”
On the show’s popularity, McGrath commented “it’s compelling yet relaxing to watch and the music, style and execution of the shows are designed to offer the viewer a relaxed visual feast to go along with the brilliant cast of bakers. Add into the mix that a certain type of personality tackles baking seriously so you also have a cast of 'interesting' people on screen”
The second series of the baking contest will see the return of renowned cookery writer and forager, Biddy White Lennon, and award-winning Executive Pastry Chef from The Merrion Hotel, Paul Kelly, in the roles of the judges.
Filming for this year’s series will commence in April – interested applicants must be available throughout this month. To enter TV3's The Great Irish Bake Off series 2, log onto: www.tv3.ie/bakeoff and click the APPLY NOW button. Applications close on Friday 17th January, 2014.
