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...

[WipsGlitter]

I agree re Kimberly, was thinking the same thing.

Think I'm rooting for Becca.

[WipsGlitter]

All women!

[ShoeJunkie]

I think I'd like Becca to win.

[hobnobsaremyfavourite]

Phew Becca got through . My faves are Becca and Christine. Kimberly is just tooooo smug.

[Bea]

Becca to win... tough wont mind ruby winning! as I think she is good!

[IsabelleRinging]

I actually really like Ruby, she's fascinating.

[PumpUpMyVolume]

What an interesting week (although trying to catch up with work throughout due to sick DS today so wasn't able to give it the focus I normally would!)

I think it was definitely Glenn's week to go and about time Frances got Star Baker (her puff pastry wotsits looked absolutely beautiful!). I haven't changed my tune... the quirkiness of all her bakes annoyed the fuck out of me but they looked just delicious this week. The bakes looked tasty as well as pretty.

Proper reversal of fortunes for me this week - Kimberly preaching as to the best way to do stuff, and not even being the best this week so didn't like her. Ruby being a bit doolally making me like her and warming to Beca a bit.

Christine is now officially my favourite - C'mon Christine

(probably death to Christine's chances now )

[RaisingArizona]

Poor Glen. He had to go though. And YY to Kimberly coming across as a bit smug and like she's presenting a cookery programme not competing in one. I really liked her up to a few weeks ago but unless it is the editing, she seems to have changed as the show has gone on.

[RiaOverTheRainbow]

Anyone else notice Paul called Glen's cracked pastry hideous and Ruby's a bit messy

[totallyaimless]

Christine and Mary together is quite amusing, I am not sure if Christine is trying to tow the line sometimes but she can rub Mary up the wrong way. 'Yes Mary, it WILL have to be perfect won't it' ..... hahaha.

Kimberly total smug baker, also seems a little unfriendly.

I wanted Glen to win, but he did have to go sadly, who will Paul insult now? Christine I suspect.

[Gracelo]

It seems it's very difficult to find the right balance between smugness and lack of confidence, somewhere between Kimberley and Ruby.
I really liked Frances' stuff as well, it had a theme but it was quite toned down.
I have never had an eccles cake. Is it worth getting my rolling pin out for it?

[mignonette]

Interesting hoe alpha Paul gets around men sometimes. He was determined to prove to Glen that his pastry way was the best way. He actually seemed to want his invert method to fail. My DD knows loads of trained patissieres who use both methods. If we all adopted the 'if it isn't broke, don't fix it' attitude, there'd be no invention, no progression.

I couldn't work out why Glen went. Both he and Christine did well on one challenge, did bad on another and adequately on a third. Glenn did better on technical. Would have made the balance better if he'd stayed and seeing as they are judged solely on each weeks tasks, what happens in previous weeks should be disregarded.

Am also wondering why they are making ice creams to go w/ their puddings when it is a baking competition. If one of them had served an ice cream or custard that the judges disliked, would it affect the marks and should it?

Kimberley maybe has one eye on a future in presenting or online cookery shows. And why shouldn't she? This is her show case, an opportunity to be noticed and there are more ways of 'winning' than coming first in the competition. It may be even harder for her if she does want a food/media career because there are less black females in this field. She is using it as a show reel and good for her.

I think women can be a little bit hard on ambition and drive in other women. Maybe we are socialised to be less accustomed to raw drive, confidence and aspiration in them? I don't think Kimberley is smug. I prefer her attitude to the self deprecating 'It's rubbish' attitude of Ruby which is actually more ego driven.

[ppeatfruit]

Did anyone notice christine 'shoving' her spotted dick into it's saucepan which was too short for it and then wondering why it had split in places? . Yes totally they've both got a LOT of experience so there's bound to be a little friction between Mary and Christine

Agree Gracelo about finding a good balance between Kim and Ruby which Frances seems to be finding IMO She certainly deserved star baker IMO she may be a stealth winner!!

[Echocave]

I think Glen had to go because overall he'd got overtaken by the skill of the others.
Frances deserved star baker though, her millefeuille stuff looked amazing.
I was beginning to wonder if Kimberley was being edited to look annoying but then I realised that Christine's started to annoy me too and I'm afraid I think the producers are working with the raw material they've got. I didn't like the builder bloke until he admitted it was right that he'd left. I still don't like Kimberley as she is over confident (she's good but she still makes mistakes and she always looks surprised when she gets a critical remark. I don't think she really believes she's got a lot to learn despite there being a Japanese word for it).

[xuntitledx]

I've done a complete U-Turn on Kimberley as I originally wanted her to win but she really bugged me last night. Very, very smug and the running commentary wasn't necessary - particularly when she isn't coming in first!

Glenn had to go, his workbench was disgusting - he works like an absolute pig. On shows like these, I think the judges should take into consideration cleanliness and hygiene. Sick of seeing people working in a pigsty, licking spoons and double dipping, not tying hair back etc - it's gross and does not a top baker make!

Not sure who I want to win now, none of them really...!

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

I am really sorry that Glenn went - I liked him. I wonder if he went because Paul didn't like the fact that he'd used a different method to make his flaky pastry, and hadn't listened to him and done it his way, and subconsciously (or maybe not even subconsciously) that had biased Paul against him.

[mignonette]

SDT I agree with you. I think Paul wanted his method to fail. No mention made of the fact that all pastry methods fail from time to time. Even the traditional (hidebound) ones.

[VikingVagine]

Gutted Glen went, but I do think he was the weakest.

The editing on Kimberly was shocking.

I did laugh at Ruby calling herself a mad old cat lady (finally)

[Quangle]

also at Ruby saying something about her cooking being an ugly duckling or unattractive or something, cut straight to a shot of Becca huffing and puffing over pastry. Actually I think Becca is an attractive woman but they just got a bad shot of her, deliberately.

[wintera]

Surely what must be happening with Kimberley is that whoever is on the camera is saying something like 'so Kimberley, can you just tell us about what you are doing here then?' She then complies and explains it all and they then edit it in such a way that she looks like a smug arse know it all. I'm very dubious of the whole thing now to be honest. I feel like I'm being manipulated by the editing and I don't like that feeling at all.

[Echocave]

I like the running commentaries as you can try to pick up tips and I don't have a problem with anyone on the show doing that. So I agree with you there Wintera that they are all asked what they're up to.
Also agree we're being manipulated a bit but can't help thinking there's no smoke without fire in some cases. For instance, if Frances was making comments that could be interpreted as smug or whatever, you can bet they'd be all over that. Glen came over well because the majority of his comments were funny and in many ways no less self-deprecating than Ruby. Others have come over as know-ally because they are tending to make proportionally more comments which could be interpreted in this way.

[ppeatfruit]

xuntit have you seen the hairy bikers cooking ?that's enough to make me vom and I'm not very fussy I do like them though.

You're probably right wintera

I agree about the running commentaries it's very interesting to see how something like choux pastry is made; I've always been frightened of making it (mainly because I hate all the faff with piping bags ). The master classes are all very well but there is usually more than one way to do things. Not sure about Glenn's version of puff pastry though!!

[xuntitledx]

ppea - I watch most cooking shows but try and avoid 'dirty' cooks!

Have you seen Bake with Anna Olsen? She's meticulous!

[PumpUpMyVolume]

Ppeat - choux pastry is really easy... really not much to it and i was amazed that i actually produced some edible chocolate eclairs! Its basically the same ingredients as regular pastry, you just heat it! I've never been brave enough to try profiterole sort of things though so those nuns would've finished me off

[Titsalinabumsquash]

I'm sad Glenn went.

Ruby gives me more and more rage each week, she couldn't be more false and if Paul isn't giving her one in the green room, I'll eat my hat.

I want Francis to win