DH and I were only saying last night that we'd almost forgotten the old version, despite having watched it annually from the beginning -- because this one largely works equally well, and they haven't really changed anything except one judge and the presenters.
I think I'm always mildly bored by it at the very beginning every year, and think it's not as good as last year's, but then realise annually that it's only because there are too many contestants at the beginning, and it never gets properly interesting until at least three or four have gone. and there's more airtime for the others.
And to the person complaining about their friend being refused because she was a white woman with children -- that's entirely normal for a TV show that's trying to cast a variety of people with interesting and different stories, experiences and culinary traditions.
It's a casting process, not a blind test to find the people who are literally the twelve best bakers out of all applicants, which might make remarkably dull TV.
If you look at the application form (can't find one now as applications aren't open, but I read one last year or the year before), they are as interested in what you bring to your baking as in the baking itself, what stories you have about why something is your favourite cake to make, who you bake for, what you do for a living etc.
Twelve fortysomething white British women who work in offices all making very traditional Victoria sponges flavoured with vanilla will appeal to a less wide demographic than a range of ages, sexes, ethnicities, who do more experimental things, or use recipes or flavours from a BAME cuisine, and if they are firefighter who bakes for their watch, or a food historian with an interest in historic recipes, or a giant body builder who does beautiful, delicate sugar work, so much the better, I imagine.
And I assume the filmed auditions are to see who performs best in front of the camera, and who is capable of talking to the presenters while baking without being terribly nervous. Or shouting DO GO AWAY, I'M TRYING TO MAKE A FONDANT EIFFEL TOWER.