H&S bags Bake-Off rights

Hodder & Stoughton has signed a two-year deal for exclusive publishing rights for "The Great British Bake Off" programme with producer Love Productions.

The GBBO branded books, including The Big Book of Baking by Linda Collister and Christmas by Lizzie Kamenetzy, have previously been published by Random House imprint BBC Books.

H&S said its first title in the multi-book deal would be published in 2015, and it was currently looking at the programme of books to issue. Hodder Lifestyle publisher Nicky Ross said: “We are hugely excited to be working with Love Productions who have created this TV phenomenon and will be working closely with them to extend the publishing brand in a variety of formats.”

This year's final of the popular baking programme was watched by over 13 million viewers, its highest ever audience.

The deal was brokered by Claire Potter and Stuart Cooper at Metrostar.