GBBO - Are you ready to bake?

[SheHasAWildHeart]

Guardian article on all this year's contestants www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/aug/16/the-great-british-bake-off-meet-the-2016-contestants

Blue cake was dreadful.

Liberace mirror to serve 'mirror glaze cake' was irritating, esp in 1st week.

My M&S Lemon Drizzle which I'd bought by chance to eat whilst watching went very well with my vase of Earl Gray and I didn't really polish the whole thing off, honest!

I think Candace just has resting bitch face, she seems smiley and jokey at other times. So many criers this week!

Felt sorry for poor Lee but am not sure how he got onto the show as he really seemed so far behind the others in ability and knowledge

Definitely. Putting sliced strawberries with ganache inbetween the layers of his cake was such a poor decision. Had he not practised and tasted it? He seemed way out of his depth.

I hate the way they still pretend these people are the twelve best amateur bakes in the UK. No they're not. They're the twelve people who have been deemed camera friendly and meet the demographic requirements of the show. Always have to have a middle class housewife, a teenager/young person, a black person, an Asian person, an older man and woman, etc.

It doesn't bother me that they do that. I think it's important to have a varied cast. I just dislike the pretence

Gail's dies the best lemon drizzle. Next time I get one I will remember to make a vase of tea to go with it
I hate Aerobics Granny

I knew about listening to cakes (and bread rolls) to see if they're done. I remember a friend at work turning up with a long burn mark on his face where he'd listened too closely :o

I know this is a sweeping generalisation, but I think Selasi has that calm demeanour that Africans sometimes have. Almost like they are at complete peace with themselves and the world.

I don't think the vampire lippy did Candice any favours as I think it made her mouth look pursed and small.

What is Val listening for - what does a cooked cake sound like?

I like Candice. I bet she's dry and sarky and would be a good laugh to have a few drinks with - loved the orange juice bit, and when she nearly dropped her came she snapped "Oh you....mother Hubbard!" obviously dying to say something else .

I also love Tom with the dreamy eyes and 100% proof cake.

Cake not came!

Best moment was Mary on Paul dunking his Jaffa cake
"We don't do that in the south" .

What's the name of the guy who looks like Merlin? (Who prob won't go that far)

What is Val listening for - what does a cooked cake sound like?

A cake that isn't done sizzles quite loudly - it means there's still a lot of wetness inside. When it's done the sizzling subsides (although you'll still hear SOMETHING - if it's silent it's probably turned into a biscuit).

You can hear the cakes crackling/bubbling inside. I can't now remember 100% what you are listening for but I think a bread roll is done when it has gone silent.

A properly baked cakes murmurs 'why does that Scouse bloke have quite so much gel in his hair?'.

MiddleClass - was that Michael? Think that was his name. The Durham Uni student?

Thanks! I think he didn't make any impact where as I can kind of place everyone else

im a virgin gbbo, first time ive watched

purple lipstick looked awful, whoever is the make up artist on gbbo should be fired!!!

never seen such fat jaffas

Must try and listed to a cake.

I usually go by smell.

Bit backstage blurb from a few years ago peeps might find interesting Backstage Bake Off

Selasi would have been irritatingly arrogant if he wasn't so good. But his bakes looked delicious so I ended up quite liking him.

Just catching up with you all.

So far I'm finding Val very irritating.

I liked Benjamina, Selasi, Candice and Tom.

The blue iced cake was hideous, as was the green sponge one!

Loved Mary B's face when Gin was mentioned, she definitely likes a tipple I bet there's a discreet hip flask about her person.

Some of the drizzle cakes sounded very tempting, Candice's sounded nice and seemed to go down well, I'm a sucker for citrus and ginger flavourings so would have quite enjoyed sampling in that round!

A properly baked cakes murmurs 'why does that Scouse bloke have quite so much gel in his hair?'.

There is no makeup artist.

Or not for the contestants anyway.

I know people who liked the purple lipstick.

It's not "bad", it's just not to your taste.

I always listen to my cakes rather than sticking prongs in them.

My DD watched GBBO for the first time and was on tenterhooks the whole time. We were all gripping our cushions really hard and it was only then that we realised how dramatic and intense the music is. So much more suspense and thriller then any action movie.