This week's UK news: 31 August 2016
31 August 2016


Every week, we summarise the news to give you some insight into what is happening in Britain, and what people are talking about.

This week: global secrets of the UK's favourite TV show, exam results, first ever night of TV recreated and the population is encouraged to try different sports

Secrets of the UK's favourite TV show

The Great British Bake Off show is back on TV, and we have learned more about how the show is sold to other countries.

In the UK, the show has 12 competitors who are asked to bake a variety of cakes and breads each week. They are able to practice some bakes, but also have to prepare recipes they have never seen before. There are two professional judges and two presenters, and each week one competitor is sent home.

The show is sold around the world by the UK's public service broadcaster. 

The official in charge of this, Kate Phillips, told a conference that China refused to make its own Bake Off show because it might encourage people to get fat. She said that the German version had included a pre-wedding party, in Israel there was a couples baking week. In the Italian version the competitor's husband or wife asks for a cake to be cooked and in Denmark losing bakers have to jump into a lake with their clothes on.

 

UK exam results fall

In the UK, most 15-year-olds take GCSE exams in English, Maths and other subjects. This year the pass rates fell slightly. This was not because the students are performing worse. It is because for the first time this year, any student who failed to pass English or Maths last summer has had to retake the exam. 

This means that there are more people taking those exams who are struggling with the subject - and that is why there were fewer high grades than usual. 

 

First ever night of TV to be shown again

In the UK the first night of TV was shown on November 2 1936. There was tap dancing, plate-spinning and dancing. It was seen by up to 400 households who had bought televisions, which would have cost GBP 15,000 if bought now. 

No recording was made of the programme. Now it is being recreated and shown again on November 2. The UK's public service broadcasting company has found an engineer who worked on the programme to help with the details. He is now 104 years old. 

 

UK urged to join Olympic athletes

We've all been watching the success of the GB team at the Olympics - and this weekend we were urged to join the athletes. All over the UK, sports centres opened up specially, with Olympic athletes on hand to encourage people to try out different sports.

One of our TV channels was turned off for the morning (by gold-winning gymnast Max Whitlock). It displayed a message saying "We've gone running… why don't you join us?"

Lots of events took place at the London Olympic park, while other activities were on the set of UK soap opera Coronation Street and in the back garden of long jumper Greg Rutherford.

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