The Great British Bake Off returned to our screens on Tuesday night to introduce a fresh batch of amateur bakers, though many viewers decided not to tune in.
The opening episode of the Channel 4 show went ahead as planned, while many other TV channels chose to make changes to their schedules following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Major broadcasters, including the BBC and ITV, have opted to provide blanket coverage of the events, as the country entered a period of national mourning. Launches of flagship programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing have been postponed.
The first instalment of Bake Off saw a slump in viewing figures, with just 4.4 million people tuning in to watch the competition.
Compared to last year's opening episode, which attracted an audience of 5.7million, it's a 1.3million drop in viewers.
"Bake Off attracted an average audience of 4.4 million viewers last night on Channel 4, with a peak of 5.2 million viewers.
"It was the most watched channel on TV last night in the time slot (8-9.30pm) across all audiences," a spokesman for Channel 4 told The Metro.
The Mirror has contacted Channel 4 representatives for comment.
The first episode of the baking competition saw presenters Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas joined by 12 new contestants, as they entered the famous tent in the hopes of impressing judges Paul Hollywood and Dame Prue Leith.
The bakers were tasked with making signature sandwich cakes, a classic red velvet technical and a home-inspired showstopper.
Janusz from Brighton, 34, was the first to be awarded the coveted star baker title after impressing Prue and Paul with his Polish-inspired mini cakes and his extravagantly decorated showstopper of his mother’s flat.
Former charity director Will was the first to leave the competition. He failed to impress the judges with his ginger and caramel square signature and his final bake which recreated his former north London flat.
The 45-year-old seemed absolutely gutted as Paul and Prue critiqued his creations.
Following his exit, Will said: "Someone’s got to go first and obviously I’m disappointed but I’m proud to have made it.
"There’s a lovely bunch of people I’ve met and I’ve got an experience that I can definitely talk about and share. I’m proud of that."
The Great British Bake Off continues at 8pm on Tuesdays on Channel 4.
