When The Great British Bake Off first arrived on the BBC in 2010, its cosiness was its greatest strength. At the time, the reality TV landscape was made up of The X Factor and , high stakes, cutthroat shows that relied on contestants backstabbing one another and dashing their dreams. No surprise, then, that was an instant hit – it was a weekly dose of gingham-clad joy, a celebration of what makes us British: cake, puns, and Mary Berry.

But as the past 16 years have gone by, ‘s tweeness has become grating and old fashioned, its tent clad in pastel bunting too jingoistic for our post-Brexit world. And the refusal to move away from the cosiness even an inch has been reflected in the viewing figures – at its height in 2016, 10.4 million of us tuned into the opening episode of series seven. This year, that figure was just 3.5 million, even with the arrival of new judge Nigella Lawson to boost interest.

This week, however, something has changed. The first ever “audience choice” week brought with it a little edge, a frisson of hardship we don’t usually see in the tent. Finally, is shaking off its overly cosy image.

The first sniff of difference came when it was revealed that the judges, Nigella and Paul Hollywood, had their challenge-setting powers removed and handed over to the viewers. Already, the brakes were off – while Nigella and Paul are certainly guided by producers when it comes to setting the tasks, as professionals, they’re more likely to stick within the parameters of classic baking when it comes to basic things like timing and ingredients. The audience – who simply want chaos in the name of entertaining television – are not.

Which is why the signature saw the bakers make a cheesecake with the help (or in some cases the hindrance) of a family member. It’s why, for the very first time in history, the contestants made different bakes for the technical having been given a cupboard of basic ingredients. And why the showstopper – to bake something wearable (anyone for a four-tier sponge bobble hat?) – was the most ridiculous challenge we’ve ever seen.

In practice, the first “audience choice” week wasn’t as anarchic as it might have been. The only disasters came from Shannon (whose cheesecake seriously displeased Paul – “I just don’t like it at all” – and had too much salt even for Nigella) and Nikki, who didn’t get her signature out of the oven in time for it to set, making for more of an oozing mess than a cheesecake. But the mere fact that the producers were willing to give it a go is a sign that they’re willing to shake things up a bit.

There’s even a bit of ruthlessness creeping into the show. When Moyin’s hat cake fell onto the floor after Paul cut a slice, old blue eyes didn’t apologise to the baker and instead further admonished him for simply plopping a cake on top of a mannequin’s head: “If it sit slightly lower on the head, it wouldn’t have wobbled like that.” Gone are the days of mollycoddling a baker for a disaster – even when it’s not their fault.

There’s even a frisson of tension between Nigella and Paul. Whereas Paul has only ever had to contend with the polite, well-meaning Mary Berry and Prue Leith, who respect his opinion as much as their own, Nigella is spikier towards him and isn’t afraid to voice her disagreement. Last week she admonished him for calling a cookie “naughty”, and this week she warned him they were going to have to “have words” when he teased her about her love of salt. It’s a new, welcome dynamic for , cutting through the saccharine warmth with the ease of a cake knife.

will never turn into nasty television, nor do I want it to – that would be an entirely different show. But if producers want it to keep us watching, they need to continue with the refreshing hint of spiciness they’ve already brought to this new series. After all, Nigella does advise a bit of salt is the best way to balance out sweetness.

‘The Great British Bake Off’ continues next Tuesday at 8pm on Channel 4