BBC baking competition The Great British Bake Off drew record ratings for a season opener on Wednesday night.
The start of the sixth season, which is the show’s second on the U.K. public broadcaster’s flagship network, BBC One, since it debuted on BBC Two, reached an average audience of 9.3 million.
The first episode of the new season peaked with 10 million viewers, the BBC said.
The show’s season-five launch had averaged 7.2 million viewers; the season-four debut had drawn 5.60 million, up from 3.46 million for the third-season launch; 2.79 million for the second season and 2.03 million for the first season in 2010.
The season-five finale was the show’s highest-rated episode ever, with an average audience of 12.3 million.
The show features amateur bakers whose work is judged by experts. It has been credited with boosting interest in baking across the U.K.
