Great British Bake Off final scores huge ratings for Channel 4 despite Prue Leith blunder

The judge had accidentally revealed the identity of this year's winner hours before the episode aired

The Great British Bake Off final was a ratings winner despite judge Prue Leith accidentally spoiling the surprise for viewers ten hours before.

A live audience of 7.3 million people watched the first finale to have aired on Channel 4 since its move from the BBC with the figure rising to 7.7 million when combined with those watching an hour later on Channel 4 + 1 - the network's highest overnight ratings since the Paralympics Opening Ceremony in 2012.

While impressive, the BBC's final episode - which saw Candice Brown crowned as winner - was watched by 14 million in 2016.

The GBBO final saw Sophie Faldo crowned the winner, unsurprising to many following Leith's earlier blunder, beating Kate Lyon and Steven Carter-Bailey to the victory.

Leith will return alongside fellow judge Paul Hollywood as well as hosts Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding when the series returns in 2018. Applications for the next series are already open.

You cna read our review of the final episode here.

On Sunday (29 October), Blue Planet II saw staggeringly high viewing ratings for BBC One with the David Attenborough-narrated documentary series beating the likes of Strictly Come Dancing, The X Factor and even the hugely-acclaimed Planet Earth II which aired in 2016.