IT’S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY! Great British Bake Off stars ‘snub ITV’s £21 million offer to leave the BBC’
Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood have reportedly refused to switch channels
THE Great British Bake Off stars have reportedly turned down a £21 million offer to switch from the BBC to ITV.
Judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood have refused to swap channels despite the whopping fee to try and lure them over.
According to the Sunday Mirror, ITV wanted to poach the pair when their current deal with the BBC runs out at the end of this current series.
The BBC is now expected to spend £15million – double what the past three series cost - to screen the popular show for the next three years.
An insider told the Sunday Mirror the BBC is very keen to secure another contract with the show's producers.
They said: “With the final series of their deal looming, the top brass want to see a deal finalised to keep Bake Off. It's too important to lose.
“Obviously the BBC is making savings and cuts wherever possible but allowing its most successful entertainment show to disappear to a rival would be unthinkable. They decided to make a higher offer.
“Even more importantly, they've got such a great relationship with Paul and Mary, and the presenters Mel and Sue Perkins, that their backing has been enough to sway it.”
Both Mary, 81, and Paul, 50, are believed to have aired their concerns to producers about the future of the show if it moved to its rival network.
Speaking on a Top Gear episode earlier this year, Paul was asked by host Chris Ecvans about a possible channel swap.
He said: “It's not up to us, it's up to the production company, but as far as Mary, Mel, Sue and myself are concerned we want to stay on the BBC.”
The show first aired in 2010 and the seventh series started last week and at its peak, was watched by 11.2 million viewers.