GBBO

[VikingVagine]

Seeing as the first thread is almost full, I thought I'd start a new one

For good measure, here is Monkseal's blog for this week.

YESSSSSS! i did not just jump off the couch or cry

im glad it wasnt kimberly, although she was technically brilliant she wasnt interesting and i think its nice that it went to frances, she's a bit more humble

Have to say those 'showstoppers' were anything but... except Frances' which looked amazing. I'm not saying i could do better because there is NO WAY but i expected more sadly!

Really,properly please door Frances! The best woman won!

Kimberley was so beautiful, though, and so lovely when she smiled. I wanted to see her win, but I thought Frances was better.

Agree Fright - i love rhubarb & ginger too.. scrum!

I think that was the right result - though I did actually like the simplicity of Kimberley's cake - I thought it looked really wedding-y.

CecyHall

The programme before with last years look back has made me realise how much I haven't warmed to any if the contestants this year and I don't think the class of baker is there this year as much as last.

No, and I think the reason is that the people picking the bakers are more interested in demographics and having the 'right' people win than they are in finding good bakers.

Were those really the best men they could find this year? After last year's all-male final, they couldn't find a single man who could stay in the contest to the quarters this year? Honestly?

yy flatpack

I am quite worried how they will mess with the format if they transfer to bbc1 next year. This series is sadly the one I have enjoyed the least.

Kind of funny (to me) how i went from loathing Frances to really enjoying her!

I also thought Kimberly's was the most wedding-y but thought the stamped bit looked naff and the whole thing, just not fancy, dare i say show-stopper-y enough

Radio Times winner interview with Frances

I don't think the showstoppers were a patch on previous years' efforts.

Really enjoyed the look back at the 2012 contestants, and yes it was quite startling to me how much more personality and "likeability" they had as a group. It was so nice watching them interact with each other and bond as the weeks went on. This year's lot, in comparison, we're mostly just very very competitive.

Telling that series three is the one that got a big audience, so the 2013 contestants would have been much more aware of the fame and scrutiny that was to come.

Anyway, I'm glad Frances won. I think she represents something quite different to previous winders.

Jo: homely Mum baking
John: aspirational dinner party baking

Frances is so much more stylised and will come out with a very different and very interesting book.

so glad frances won...ok she got the taste wrong on most things but her artistic flair throughout the series was awesome..
and i laughed at the state of rubys showstopper...you dont go on the gbbo final to make somethong that looked like mr blobbys baby

doormat

so glad frances won...ok she got the taste wrong on most things but her artistic flair throughout the series was awesome..

If I'd been watching "The Great British A-level Art project" I'd have agreed with you, but baking is about flavour IMO, not about spending 5 days before the show building something to put your cake in/on.

hmm flatpack ..you do have a point on the flavour but i still think imo frances and kimberley were more consistent..throughout the series
i was hoping for either of them winning..

as long as it wasnt ruby i dont care..and nope nothing to do with looks or age before i get accused of that
she was just shit and out of her depth..last week she should of gone

I'm just pleased Ruby didn't win - the whinging last night was off the charts annoying.

Above all, I'm still really disappointed with the general direction the program has taken this year.

I've whined before about this, but the winning formula was the genteel, lovely vibe and I felt all that was lost in sneaky/cheap editing to "keep us guessing", in the whole Ruby/PH interaction and general controversial tone.

If I wanted all that, I'd watch Big Brother.

P.S. I have the sinking feeling it will get even worse with the shift to BBC1 next year

Agree with you on all counts, Poppy. The least enjoyable series so far, and it will get worse.

so glad frances won...ok she got the taste wrong on most things

I wouldn't like to buy a book with her recipes for this very reason. If I'm baking, ok I want it to look as nice as possible, but the main thing is the flavour, and both Ruby and Kimbery seemed to knock Frances' socks off on that point for most of the season. It goes to show it really is all I down to how they perform in the final, and Frances seems to have one because the other two messed their show stoppers up even more than she did.

Overall a very disappointing season (and I'm not saying that because I was backing Ruby; last season I wanted Brendan to win and the season before it was someone else again).

It's going to be ruined with BBC 1 isn't it?

Flavour can be taught. A few lessons from someone who's knows what they're doing and she'll be there. Style can't and she was top on style every single time. I'm pleased she won. I think she deserved it.

I'm quite pleased Frances won, and I say that as a not-particularly-big-fan of hers. Her wedding cake was the best, although it wasn't awesome, and her picnic pie looked nice.

Ruby's wedding cake was straight up ugly. I'm so glad she didn't win. Got so sick of her 'oh I'm rubbish' antics.

I'd have liked Kimberley to win – I thought she was overall better than Frances – but her wedding cake was a bit boring and I don't know why she didn't pre-cook her picnic pie ingredients to avoid the dreaded soggy bottom!

I didn't notice a very different vibe this year; I think the gentle/genteel feel has always been balanced by Mel and Sue taking the piss a bit and some strategic editing. Was disappointed that no men were good enough to get very far though.

Have people seen the picture of Francis on the front of the Times today? I can't link to it, because you have to pay to view the Times online nowadays - but they have done a huge makeover on her - makeup, hair artfully curling at the ends, smiling with her mouth shut so her teeth can't be seen, and posed with a vintage egg beater. I had to look twice to even work out it was Frances!

It has left a nasty taste in my mouth - they wouldn't have done the same thing to a male winner, and it seems as if they are saying she isn't pretty enough to have won. What is wrong with using a picture of her looking like her?