And here I thought Netflix's The Great British Baking Show was one of those non-controversial reality TV shows. Fans across the pond are having heated debates about a joke judge Paul Hollywood made during the most recent episode of The Great British Bake Off, which we call The Great British Baking Show over here.
The Great British Bake Off Series 10 Semifinals first aired earlier this week in the U.K., including a comment from judge Paul Hollywood comparing the technical challenge's patisserie to "diabetes on a plate."
The joke sparked anger from many Channel 4 viewers, arguing it perpetuated the myth that diabetes comes from eating too much sugar.
According to Deadline, The Great British Baking Show producers cut the reference from repeats of the episode in the U.K. The joke was expected to be removed from the Semifinals episode on Netflix, but it was still there when it debuted on Friday, October 25.
Paul Hollywood also shared a screenshot of some Chelsea Buns and apologized for the diabetes joke, which he called "thoughtless":
Great British Bake Off fans debated the comment -- with some calling it out as ignorant, and others rolling their eyes at what they saw as oversensitivity.
A few fans turned the joke back on Paul Hollywood, showing him what "diabetes on a plate" really looks like to them:
Some viewers with diabetes said they didn't mind Paul Hollywood's joke, and others argued it would've been OK if the judge had just said Type 2 diabetes to differentiate it from Type 1:
Of course, most baking shows are going to focus on sweets and heavy pastries -- it's not exactly health food or advertised as much. That said, some episodes do focus on sugar-free baking and some bakers have noted when they use vegan or more healthy ingredients. Still, it's a baking show! I watch for the food porn of it all.
The Great British Bake Off Series 10 is currently streaming on Netflix as The Great British Baking Show Collection 7. New episodes arrive each Friday on Netflix. Here are more Netflix originals still to come in 2019. Keep up with everything still airing on TV this year with our handy 2019 fall TV premiere schedule.
