BAKED ALASKA-GATE [edited by MNHQ to say that this thread contains many, many GBBO spoilers. Many Many Many]

[amotherfuckingquiche]

She took Iain's ice cream out of the freezer did she not?!

"Edith, I'm going to try something really risque. Rather than use self-raising flour, I'm going to use plain flour and add baking powder. They won't know what's hit them"

Seems he's married to Iris.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/5Vd3Jh1pqXQB8LlbDlTFGHj/norman

It's a shame that every time Norman says he's really pleased with what he's produced, and every time Mary and Paul find a whole lot wrong with it.

www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-08-28/the-great-british-bake-offs-diana-defends-herself-it-was-very-bad-editing

why did he change freezers?

This. I think she was being a sneaky ruthless one, no doubt... but I wonder if his reaction was an 'all or nothing' attempt for a sympathy repreave? In the style of the cut finger last year.

He was struggling with the ice cream recipe as it was - I also recall a shot of him just putting it in and I don't think anyone was looking (suggesting he hadn't asked: so had she been too 'nice' about it - although of course could have spoken to him- it would be her out because he went behind her back albeit in desperation). I wonder if in all honesty the freezer move was a last ditch effort to save something he kind of knew was going to get him kicked off ... hence the bin strop when it failed.

Apparently it was out for mere seconds, edited to look worse: which suggests to me his ice cream plain old failed (hence he tried other freezers - perhaps without asking). It also suggests trumped up drama.

I also wonder if the backlash is because old women are 'supposed' to be naice granny figures or witch figures - no middle road.
There's no room for a plain hard nosed competitive old lady in TV's cosy stereotypes.
It's not 'kooky' and therefore marketable like a hipster bloke baker.

Iris! Perfect.

Definitely some dodgy editing going on. I very much doubt that any contestant, in a tent full of camera crews, presenters, other contestants etc would try and so obviously sabotage someone else's bake.
Diana has said that she took the ice cream out of her freezer and asked 'whose is this'? as she needed to put her own in, Ian came and took it. No drama. It would seem that Ian's (and the ice cream's) meltdown came later and the producers decided to merge the two events to make it look like Diana had been playing dirty.
Disgraceful and shoddy way to treat an elderly woman -or anyone come to that. Apparently she was in tears after seeing it last night.
I had just been thinking that concerns over BBC1 trying to x-factor the show were unfounded, but last night has made me think again.

Oh lay off Norman!
He's a darling.

He will put them out stops, just you wait!

Apparently what sets Norman apart from the other bakers is HALITOSIS

Come off it, this episode would have been planned several months earlier, and the freezers organised at that time. They had no way of knowing that the tent was going to be "sweltering".

Worked in events. Tents are freezing or boiling. Very rarely in between: if it was early summer they'd know there was a fair risk.
They are trying to up the drama.

I love Norman and his utter lack of imagination! Martha will create a cake in the shape of Marie Antoinette dressed as a shepherdess, Luis will construct a cake that looks like the Sydney Opera House during a meteorite shower.

Norman will make a nice plain bun.

Diana has said that she took the ice cream out of her freezer and asked 'whose is this'? as she needed to put her own in, Ian came and took it. No drama. It would seem that Ian's (and the ice cream's) meltdown came later and the producers decided to merge the two events to make it look like Diana had been playing dirty.

Shocked and yet not shocked at all...

Okay, my plans to snog Norm are on hold.

Norman 'creates small sculptures from clay.' When I didn't think he could get any more adorable, THIS information comes along!

Why the assumption that he's a Presbyterian/Calvinist?

I take back what I said about Diana. Norman is lovely

Squoosh. Ick.

It's DD's 2nd birthday in a couple of weeks. I was thinking to do a fun cake, but I think now I might just do a 'Norman'.

Happy 2nd Birthday DD! Blow out the candle, I made you a Norman Cake

Because I'm getting a no nonsense North of Scotland Presbyterian vibe from him. I could be wrong of course, he might be a Buddhist.

Thirty quid for that Norman cake!

Ok. It's just that none of the Presbyterians I know own a kiln in which they make clocks and pottery

Oh, sorry DD. Diana burnt it.

Squoosh, it's because it may be simple, but it's very well executed!