to be seriously considering giving up on GBBO?

[FancyPantSusan]

I've always been a devoted GBBO fan.

However, I'm really struggling to cope with the C4 version.

I absolutely hate the adverts and I don't think the programme is gripping enough to cope with adverts. I find myself chatting with DH during the adverts then carrying on our conversation over the top of GBBO when it comes back on. When it was on BBC with no adverts, me and DH never uttered a word

I find Noel Fielding very tiresome. He's just not particularly funny and his childish "I have no idea what baking is, I'm just going to stand near you and make jokes" interactions with the contestants I'm finding quite hard to put up with. Having said that, I always found Sue Perkins to be a bit of a knob so I guess I can't be too harsh on Noel.

I'm also finding this year's crop of contestants very challenging. It seems to be edging towards a typical C4 "personality parade" and I can't help but feel that some people are putting on a bit of a show for the cameras. We have:
Kim Joy's "Oh I'm so crazy and whacky but also a little bit adorable";
Ruby's "I'm completely gorgeous look at my pout. Oh a little swear word slipped out accidentally on purpose. Aren't I naughty and foul mouthed and hilarious";
Jon's "Look at my loud Hawaiian shirt, I'm clearly crazy and a really good laugh. Oh and I love my daughters, aren't I just swell?";
Karen's "I'm also hilarious. I'm an older woman very painfully and performatively not giving a shit. Wasn't it hilarious when I sat shoveling crisps into my gob when everyone else was still cooking that one week? See, told you, hilarious";
Briony's "Oh look, I'm so lovely and mumsy"
Rahul's "I'm still learning lots about the UK and, conveniently, fitting into the cultural stereotype of the acceptable immigrant. I'm very quiet and apologetic and that makes me adorable"

I really need to give up on this programme I think. Who's with me?!

I love the Sewing Bee. I can’t sew for toffee, so fuck knows why I love it so much!

Love Sewing Bee. A bit amazed at the idea of James Acadter as presenter... ,,

Got to say I'm not paying as much attention this year as previously.

Noel's jokes are getting old, he needs to come up with some new material.

I do like Sandy. Her dry sense of humour speaks to me.

Prue is boring

Paul is just smug and up his own arse; the handshakes are now far too overdone.

I think that the bakes are now far too unusual and demanding to be interesting to watch.

I'm irrationally irritated by KimJoy's Claire red on makeup. Space buns and childlike joy, although her decoration skills are immense.

Ruby seems like a replacement for the woman in the previous series with the bright lippy, but she doesn't really seem to have much personality.

There ALWAYS seems to be a middle aged woman from the north of England who is a bit mums and a bit wacky, me and DH refer to her as token Northern Gran.

Rahul is Eeyore. At first it was endearing, now it's grating. He can't even drop the self deprecation for half a second to enjoy having been given the handshake or star baker. Boring.

I like Briony

The others are so 'meh' that I can't even remember who else is on there.

And I can't even remember what they've baked other than the stupid biscuit chandelier and the melting chocolate ball things.

I think I'm done with it.

Don’t ever say a bad word about Rahul!!!

He is so very bloody lovely, and the constant little blush on his cheeks. Adorable. I want to SQUEEZE him.

Plus he is very talented and I am enjoying the over the top (if not garish) designs he manages to make out of humble boring English baking!

agree with handshakes. What’s that meme currently about Paul giving out handshakes to Greg’s for stake bakes 🙈

I’ve given up.

The problem for me isn’t the new presenters/judge or even the advert breaks. It’s the fact the bakes are so difficult and get more so every year. I’ve said this for a few years.

The first couple of seasons were Great. There was at least one thing very week where you could think “oh, I’ll have a go at making one of those at the weekend”. Even if you knew it wouldn’t be as good, it would be edible and nice and wouldn’t take all weekend to decorate.

I’ve only seen a couple of episodes but the handshake thing is annoying and makes Mr Hollywood seem far more important than he really is. The French girl is kind of annoying, as is Rahul. Kim Joy is just odd. I agree they seem to have been picked for their personalities more than their particular baking skills. I quite like the man with the glasses and twiddly moustache. Agree the presenters are a bit rubbish (other than Sandi).

I love it on C4 , l don't miss Mary pretends to eat a bite of cake but don't swallow Berry , or the 2 double entendre experts Mel & Kim . I love Noel & Sandi they are so sweet & caring to the contestents . l don't mind the breaks , usually loo or cuppa making in them .

I don’t feel as strongly as OP but I admit the whole thing hasn’t really “grabbed” me this year. I record it but then keep getting distracted and having to rewind. I’m just not finding it essential viewing any more.
I do think Rahul is over-egging it a bit now. If he was that unsure of himself, he’d never have made it through the application process (or made the application in the first place).

I love the sewing bee too , l can't wait for it to come back

Not feeling it either this year. I don't really like Paul and the handshake is getting annoying.

Sorry Op, I really like it this year and really like Pru Leith, I personally couldn’t stand Mary Berry. The bakers are all lovely and Kim Joy, in particular is...an actual Joy.

Oh i absolutely love Sandi and Noel and find them much funnier than Mel and Sue

As a previous poster said, Paul Hollywood is the best reason to stop watching anything , odious little man!

It's the changes to An Extra Slice that are a travesty! I like Tom Allen but his new segment puts my teeth on edge. It's awful. That along with the new stupid challenges and all the rest of the horse play makes the show feel like Tiswas! I swear we're a hair's breadth away from a gunge (sp?) tank

Love Sewing Bee. A bit amazed at the idea of James Acadter as presenter

I adore Sewing Bee, despite being crap at anything much beyond buttons and trouser hems - but are people saying the presenter will not be Winkleman? That would sadden me.

KimJoy’s ‘inspired’ space turtle idea was ripped off from Terry Pratchett.

But Terry Pratchett got it from various ancient mythologies anyway. Cosmic world-carrying turtles have been a thing for millennia.

I really miss the history bits! - I loved seeing the RL bakers who were really proud of their product. Sandi and Noel would both be great at presenting that type of slot too.

Also loved pottery throw-down. I think it's harder to find people who do pottery as a hobby, so they can't do the formulaic "character" thing - they just get a bunch of really creative interesting people. The crying judge also makes it interesting! He doesn't come across at all like he's doing it for effect to me. He just seems very eccentric.

I love Kim Joy and Rahul. My 14 year old thinks Rahul is adorable and rewinds his best bits all the time. I liked Mel G, but not so much Sue P but I honestly don't miss them one bit. I also pause at the start and fast forward through all the adverts, which I do for most shows now!

I just can't watch it without Mary Berry. She symbolises everything the Bake Off used to be about - giving it that old fashioned, gentle, garden fete vibe.

I also agree with a pp that in recent years (including the last couple of years on BBC) the bakers had just become too advanced and professional. It's no longer a programme that inspires ordinary people to take up baking, but one that has us oohing and aaahing but not even thinking about trying any of the challenges ourselves.

I miss the old days of GBBO.

Paul Hollywood makes me think of those men that wear gallons of man perfume and really clammy hands. Would hate a handshake in case I was right but don't mind watching him.

Couldn't stand Mel but the others were OK. This new lot, not really. I only watch it if I run out of things to watch on catchup now.

Sorry to be thick but what’s this “pause at the start and fast forward through the adverts” thing?

We don’t have Sky or a recorder but do have a smart telly and I watch on catch up (All4) sometimes.

I watch on SkyQ and so can pause live TV which means I can skip through ads (until it catches up, obvs). Mostly I record stuff and ff through the ads. Or if you download stuff on skyQ catch up, it doesn’t include the ads so you can watch straight through.

I actually preferred the Ch4 line up and like the new hosts and Prue. I enjoyed the first series on 4. However I have only watched one episode of this series and I was bored and have not bothered with the rest. The contrstants are all a bit trying to be the new Nadia or Candice. Lots of bright lipstick or a USP.

But then I am a bit jaded with a lot of programmes. Tired of seeing the same people, the same formulaic programmes. I dont care if I miss SCD either.

I cannot believe this Rahul love. Yes he is an amazing baker but he constantly looks like he’s sniffing farts.

Aw I love how unsure he always looks about his own abilities - even when his bakes are fantastic.

He killed me when he said he may send his cake recipe to his mother - but that she probably won't like it