To feel let down by Sandi Toksvig's Bake Off Comments?

[BishyBarnyBee]

Sandi has given a few interviews saying her brain was atrophying on Bake Off and she had to leave for her own sanity. I know she's a comedian so her words are partly for effect - but it's so disrespectful to the people who love the show.

Richard Osman tweeted "I honestly don't think you should present shows you wouldn't watch" and I think that's right. She's really gone down in my estimation.

It would have shown more integrity to not take the huge pay cheque in the first place rather than phone it in for 3 years and then rubbish the show that's been paying your mortgage for you.

For the record, it's quite possible to be a very intelligent and well educated person and still be interested in cake - or at least, in other people, which is what that role is really about.

I've gone right off her!

Really? The between the stops one, or has she written another?

I loved her before I read her autobiography, and I loved reading it. I find it hard to square that all with her statements about TWAW, apart from I can see that her lived experiences have meant that in her experience TW haven't been a problem to her. I wish she'd have thought a bit more critically before declaring that TWAW.

I agree with you OP, I thought her comments were pretty insulting to the contestants on the show that she had been pretending to be interested in while collecting her pay check and make her unprofessional.

Meh.

I've taken jobs that I thought I would enjoy but didn't. Can't get too worried up about someone else having a similar experience.

What put me off 'Bake Off' wasn't the baking bits, it was the absolutely ludicrous histrionics that accompanied the contestants' every move. The whole 'this means so much to me' gush was really off-putting. Bake Off is by no means the only show guilty of this. If it was just about who can bake the best products, rather than who can give the most heart-rending performance, it might be worth watching. I don't blame Sandi for getting bored with it.

At least read the full statement before getting offended. She talked about how she had to stand there for hours doing nothing while Prue and Paul tasted the cakes. Anyone would be bored as fuck in that situation.

Oh my god, go outside and touch something green. 🙄

I’m pretty sure she cried when some bakers were knocked out so unless she’s a surprisingly good actress I don’t think she was completely disengaged with the whole show. Probably just said it knowing it would get her in the news with the new series being on.

I suspect rather many of us would stop watching if we had to watch the full 5 hours of a show stopper bake.

I don't think she did 'phone it in' for a second, I think she did the job to the best of her ability, and to my mind did a very good job that required very little of her skill or intelligence - then got bored of it and moved on to other things.

We don't all love every single thing we do, I count myself extremely lucky that I actually do adore 90% of what I do for a living. I do not think that is the case for a significant proportion of the population though!

The tabloids are, as usual, making a lot of fuss about nothing here. The headlines are designed to suggest a massive feud between Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding - but actually, all she said is that she doesn’t really see him. How many of us regularly see people we last worked with five years ago? It really isn’t that odd.

How often do you hear actors talk about leaving TV shows because they didn’t like the way the writing was progressing, or what was being done to their character? That seems to be fine - but because we’re sold this vision of Bake Off as a lovely show where everyone’s a big family, it’s somehow heinous to say “Actually, it’s bloody boring to stand around waiting for a cake to rise”.

I read her comment and thought it was a bit entitled tbh!

I'm pleased to see a bit of supporting the contestants again from the presenters.

I didn't want to like Alison Hammond but actually I think she's really good. Not quite as over the top as she can be and a bit more interaction with and interest in the bakers.

Noel and Matt just felt like wasps you'd want to swat away when busy.

Sandy was a bit nothing on it. I think perhaps if she'd said 'it didn't suit me' it would be fair enough but it does feel deliberately critical.

Someone asked her why she left and she was honest in response.
Actors and presenters often do things they don't have any particular interest in.
I like Sandi I also watch Bake off and like cakes I think it's ok to do both

It would have shown more integrity

She's a tv presenter. I've worked for companies selling products I don't buy (nothing unethical, just products I have no interest in). I don't consider it a lack of integrity

Gogglebox is great

@ThatAgileGoldMoose

Yes, that was the one. I just found it really boring and I thought the tone of it was a bit..pompous is not quite the right word but it’s the best one I can think of.

Disrespectful to the people who compete in it too. Who she presumably she spends a lot of time chatting with and getting yo know

@SpiggingBelgium but herjob was to interact with the contestants. We're they atrophied her brain too?

Yes, she said that the presenters just stood around at a long table for ages and didn't even get to taste the cakes, but had to watch the judges stuff their faces and hand out sugar crusted handshakes. Only a cakeaphobe would not be driven to rage at not being able to taste the cakes on display - can you imagine the heavenly smell of that tent?

It’s a job. People take jobs they don’t like to get paid money. They’re entitled to have an honest opinion about whether they enjoyed the job. It’s not disrespectful to have a negative view.

Yes I really like it! but it's people watching people on tv iykwim

The show is filmed over literally days, what do you think they do, interview them constantly 😂

This!

Also she's tedious.