GBBO starts tomorrow!

[Forgetfulmog]

Very excited!

Paul Hollywood does piss me off tbh, but I love seeing all the cakes & stuff. Will probably have to make something to eat whilst watching it though...

Yes I'm warming to Howard, he's a sweetie and was clearly upset when Ali went.

Although it was funny when his custard was swiped...

I like all of them. I don't want any of them to go home. They should all stay and bake luffly things for the next however-many weeks, while Howard has a series of ever-more-bizarre baking mishaps in the background.

All the Ruby, and to a lesser extent the Kimberley, hate just makes me go I never forget that we're seeing a carefully edited version of events, and the editor knows who won.

I like all of them too I find the lady with the matchstick bread sticks a bit but I liked her reaction when finally the judges actually complimented her that was sweet.

IMO There's a bit of about Ruby she's soo pretty and talented and YOUNG . Still KIM TOO WIN

Howard's my favourite. Loved the bit where he was saying people had thought his showstopper was amazing but that was his mum and dad!

Also love Glenn.

I keep calling Christine Wendy because she reminds me of Wendy Craig.

Bit gutted that Monkseal's on holiday this week. I've been reading his blog on the Strictly programme the other night and he mentions Mumsnet (apologies if this has been mentioned by now ). I actually squealed a little bit

well for what it's worth I find ruby's coy 'false modesty' lots more irritating than frances' creations.......which am sure wee kids'd just love , and at least frances herself is unnafected

demisemi IMO Ruby's youth affects her confidence it's not false even it comes over as such. I don't have the play it again facility so I'm going to watch the repeat tomorrow.

Glenn comes over well in a bumbling 'oh dear I'll just wing it' fashion. Letus I thought that Howard was a very dry type to start but he's allowing his emotions to show now which is a definite improvement.

PPeat

Matchstick lady clearly gets inspiration from Pinterest. Those matchstick cookies have been knocking around the site for ages. Next it'll be Japanese Kawai influenced cookies.

WRF to macaron V macaroons (sorry can't find the post which asked the question) I reckon that macarons are french I DO live between both countries so have experience of both btw; they are smaller sweeter,most of them too sweet IMO, but very pretty colours and sandwiched with buttercream; too sweet again.

The english ones are larger flatish with jam and icing and pastry. The common ingredients in both is ground almonds and eggs only whites in the french ones .I stand to be corrected if I'm wrong though

ppeatfruit Thanks. The macaroons I make are egg white, sugar and ground almond. Slightly toffeeish in the centre but not too sweet.

pigstack: I do think the contestants aren't anything on last years - where the three finalists were all excellent throughout.

I think the lapse of time is blotting out some details. Bloke who won had two or three very iffy weeks, older bloke was competent but went in for very over-fussy decoration, Scottish bloke seemed pretty good and inventive but sometimes misjudged it.

I accept your point nenny - and I can't even blame the lapse of time: I have them recorded and watch often

I want to watch Intellectuals Bakeoff

Nenny and Pigstack - I agree. This years competition for me, falls flat and I don't care enough about any of them enough to watch it that carefully. Usually I am glued but I have dipped in and out this year, usually with one eye on my book/Kindle/laptop.

I'm pretty about it although I obviously care enough to discuss it on here ..

Well Ruby has closed her blog. I'm guessing that people made nasty comments. How horrible.

I don't think you agree with me, mignonette - my point was that it isn't the case that last year's finalists were uniformly excellent, and I don't think it's true to say that this year's contestants compare unfavourably. The point really is that this is a contest for amateur bakers who are inevitably not infallible, and that's part of the fun. I'm as glued as ever.

Sorry Nenny I read it differently to that as I wasn't concerned w/ their excellence. In fact I think a lot of the time they are set ridiculous standards as they are home bakers after all, no matter how proficient. Some of the PH comments are technical details worthy of level 2 Patissiere training. I've never been overly preoccupied w/ technical excellence and an absence of mistakes. If you want perfection, watch a Pierre Hermes 'how to' VT I say .

However they aren't as memorable this year for me. I cannot even recall most of their names and in the other years, that wasn't the case.

I am comparing them to other years on grounds of personality and memorableness in that respect. Maybe I didn't make that clear.

mignonette but have you considered that it may be your 'fault' that you cannot recall most of their names, rather than theirs? I forgot my secretary's name yesterday. It wasn't her fault. :(

Last year's GBBO did have Jim Robinson/Charles Widmore (I never could remember his real name) but other than that I didn't think any of them were as memorable as this year's lot. But I suspect that may be just because I have things in common with several of this year's lot, and last year, not so much.

Yes it might well be Russian. I am of an age . However my DD and Dh have same opinion and DD is training as a Patissiere so usually obsessed w/ this show.

Or my memory traits may be nature and nurture passed on.

Ruby is on Twitter as are all the others I think. She may have mentioned closing the blog on there. Will have a look.

She tweeted earlier that she was taking a break from twitter too. Sounds as though haters have attacked her. However, she sent me a lovely DM about an hour ago. She seems genuinely nice. Most of the people who dislike her seem to do so out of jealousy. Poor thing - it's not her fault she is pretty, it's not her fault she is young, and she hasn't actually played on it at all. She didn't go on about having been the star baker the week after she was, unlike some people, after all....

She is too young to have to cope w/ that Russian. I do hope the show offers some sort of support to those on it in terms of what they might have to contend w/ afterwards.

I think Ruby may well be the first contestant getting bad attention. For a number of reasons. Firstly, the ratings have shot up massively. Secondly she is probably the first contestant who has been - and looks it - a model. Thirdly the press have made a bit of a song and dance about her.

I think it's really sad.

Russians It is really sad. I was a bit meh about her but I regret thinking those things. I didn't know she was so young as didn't catch the hype or the voice over (too busy MNing).

Can you imagine if this was our daughter carrying this burden? I'd be furious. People don't like beauty/cleverness/skill in a woman beyond a certain level. Finding a flaw will make them more accepting of her. T'is the British disease sadly.

You know, as a species us women don't help ourselves much do we? I've seen quite a few comments that have irked me about Ruby that I would call sexist, and they've mostly come from women too. Not talking about Just mumsnet though to be fair. Seen some on other forums too. Some saying she's only there cos Paul fancies her, that general thing. Shame really isn't it? But yet oddly predictable sadly.