Great British Bake Off: Final watched by 7.3 million viewers

Prue Leith joined Paul Hollywood as a judge this season

Warning: This story contains spoilers

The Great British Bake Off finale was seen by a live audience of 7.3 million, overnight viewing figures show.

That rose to 7.7 million when including those watching on Channel 4 +1.

The viewing figures come in spite of Prue Leith accidentally tweeting the name of the winner 10 hours early.

It's Channel 4's highest overnight ratings since the Paralympics Opening Ceremony in 2012.

That saw an average 7.7 million tune in to see the events from the London Games.

But the Bake Off ratings are lower than the 14 million who tuned in to BBC One in 2016 to see Candice Brown crowned champion. That figure rose to 15.9 million when those watching on catch up services were included.

Former Army officer Sophie Faldo was crowned the 2017 winner

The final saw Sophie Faldo crowned the winner and handed that all-important glass cakestand.

She beat Kate Lyon and Steven Carter-Bailey to the title, with her multilayered honey-bee cake showstopper proving too sweet for the judges to resist.

(Incidentally, if Sophie wants a taste of what could lie in store as a Bake Off winner, it's just been announced that Candice is going to be taking part in this year's Dancing on Ice on ITV.)

This was the first series of Bake Off on Channel 4, after it moved there from BBC One.

Alex Mahon, chief executive at Channel 4, said Prue, fellow judge Paul Hollywood and presenters Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig had "served up a showstopper of a series".

"I'm delighted that they'll all be back in the tent on Channel 4 next year," she added.

Sophie Faldo said it was "surreal" to be crowned the winner

There was a peak audience of 8.3 million just before 2100 on Tuesday - when the final three had finished their showstopper bakes, but before the judges had tried them.

Channel 4 said the final was seen by an average of 2 million in the 16-34 age group, with a 57.5% share of that audience - adding that it was the biggest series for young audiences on any UK channel this year.

• How the Bake Off final unfolded

• Amol Rajan: Channel 4's Bake Off risk has paid off

• Prue Leith accidentally reveals Bake Off winner

• 33 things you need to know about The Great British Bake Off

They added that the overnight series average of 6.2 million is the largest Channel 4 has seen since Big Fat Gypsy Weddings in 2011.

The viewing figures rise to about 8.9 million when counting everyone who saw an episode of Bake Off over a seven-day period.

Applications for the next series of Bake Off are already open.

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