Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking

Watching Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking feels less like a magical baking competition and more like a thinly veiled, expensive advert for their new cookbook. While the concept of combining the wizarding world with baking had so much potential, the execution is disappointingly transparent.

The show is painfully staged-every interaction feels scripted, and the supposed "competition" lacks any real tension or excitement. Contestants seem more like actors than bakers, and the emphasis is always on promoting the recipes from the cookbook rather than showcasing creativity or skill.

What's most disappointing, however, is the lack of Harry Potter magic. Aside from a few forced references and themed decorations, the show doesn't capture the wonder, charm, or atmosphere that made the franchise so beloved. Instead, it comes across as a soulless marketing ploy.

In the end, Wizards of Baking is neither an engaging competition nor a nostalgic trip back to Hogwarts. It's dull, uninspired, and, frankly, a missed opportunity. Fans looking for a touch of Potter magic will be sorely disappointed.

What a delightful watch! It was amazing to see so many Harry Potter references combined with outstanding talent. These contestants weren't just incredible bakers-they were engineers too! Most of the finished pieces featured magical moving elements, which made them even more impressive.

I loved that this wasn't your typical baking show. From the very beginning, it set itself apart, with some teams being paired at random and having to quickly learn to work together. Only the best earned a ticket to continue.

The tasting elements were so creative, and the judges' feedback always felt spot on. I was on the edge of my seat during the finale!

After a few episodes I came to wonder how much the guest judges influence the decision. Also some of the feedback they give is the same a 3rd grader would give. You would think they would have gotten some kind of coaching. Also, Evanna Lynch is a judge who is vegan, so she can't eat the bakes...make it make sense.

Regardless of my issues with the above, the show is great and brings to life some of the most iconic scenes in all of Harry Potter. I hope they make more seasons and have a run like GBBO. There is so much opportunity to explore hundreds of other avenues with this show. Maybe some better guest judges will help too lol.

Not bad, but the first episode seemed a little all over the place. I think they could have thought up a better format for the first episode, as it comes across quite disjointed.

Still, I'm hoping that as the season progresses, the strangely fragmented format will mend itself and become a bit more fluid.

I loved seeing all the Harry Potter-themed creations coming to life - some of them were really exceptional.

Oliver and James were a great choice for hosts, they slot into the vibe really well.

I'm going to stick with it as I've got a feeling that, now the introductions are out of the way, it will find its feet. We'll have to wait and see.

So so many negatives. Firstly, if you are expecting an equivalent of the GBBO, you will be sorely disappointed. This, it is not. It's way way stereotypically American (negative). The introduction of the guests, the pretending it's all true (I mean Harry Potter etc is real, but not the elements in the show...), the over the top excitement.... Ugh!

If you LOVE Harry Potter, you should love this. It's the only thing that saves it for me. But if you only like Harry Potter, i suspect this isn't for you. I laughed, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. But not for baking, not for the presentation (yes I love the Weasley twins, but not the actors as presenters), and not for the overall production. Just for the HP connection, :-)