GBBO 4th thread - Will it be Ruby Tuesday in Final Week?..

[Myimaginarycathasfleas]

...or will Kim Joy claim the title? Will Rahul nail it with a bake they DO have in India?

It’s anyone’s to lose.

I totally agree with pp that the show is nowhere near as enjoyable now, as the type of challenges and time allowances don't allow the contestants to really excel! I can remember some amazing creations from previous series (things that one could aspire to try and recreate oneself) but currently it's a bit miserable looking at them all slogging away in a hot tent only to deliver unfinished cakes or bakes that are under par.

I am really sorry that Bryony went too. She was my favourite.

The Great Interior Design Challenge is another good one. Daniel Hopwood is very calming. They put in some history of the local architecture too. A very nice show although Orla Kiely judged the final last year and she is so patterned up, one has to wonder how the contestants who flavoured a neutral palette could be at anything but a huge disadvantage.

I think the winner will be chosen because of their physical appeal and the ability to sell cookbooks over the next 24 months

Yes definitely this.

Rahul has zero personality for a popular tv show. The public's response is actually giving him more character than he actually has.
For me Rahul will need to produce mind-blowing baking (with both Kim Joy and Ruby crashing) to make him a worthy winner on Tuesday.

I don't mind PH but I know he isn't well liked. I wonder if he's been asked to turn up the bad cop routine he's got going.
Some constructive criticism definitely wouldn't go amiss, especially the last few episodes.

I'm not quite sure what ethnicity has to do with the ability to make a cake. Likewise with a soshul meja profile.

I get that it would be better telly if you were a bit out there or lively. But I just want it to be more about the bake and camaraderie. I think people in this series would drown their rivals in a sea of crème pat so that they could advance.

I think Rahul should have gone instead of Manon in Danish week, or instead of Briony on Tuesday. I think they must have predicted that the public would go "AWWWWW HE'S SO QUIET AND CUTE WE MUST PROTECT HIM" because that appears to be what Sandi and Noel think

Patisserie Week wouldn’t necessarily have benefited Manon. There are very very few French people who would ever dream of attempting complicated patisserie - they always buy it!

True, and that might have put more pressure on Manon.

I suspect - and I may be wrong - the social ethnicity question means that the producers want a culturally diverse show, which is great TBH.

I like the Interior Decorator one.

Did you ever see "The Block" ? It was an Australian programme on one of the 'funny' channels.

4 couples were given identical run-down apartments in a block, and had to renovate and furnish them to a high standard. They were given a budget and each week had to complete a room - the couple who completed that week's room most successfully was given extra budget money for the following week.

At the end, the apartments were auctioned off and the couple whose apartment got the highest price was the winner and got HUGE LUMP SUM and lots of kudos.

It was BRILLIANT!!! I really loved it. I think I saw 2/3 series and I would have watched it forever. The final winners we saw were a married couple - the wife was the one with all the ideas etc and they both put them into practice, and when they won, her husband (labourer) was SO proud of her! And she was saying how wonderful he was and she wouldn't have the confidence to to anything like this without him.

It sounds so cheesy, but it wasn't - it was wonderful. Really, REALLY brilliant programme!

I like the Interior Decorator one. Me too. I quite fancy Tom Dykhoff I have a horrid feeling it's been canned though –it's not been on for ages.

Anyway, I'm sad Briony's gone. She was really funny and down to earth. I think she and Sandi got on like a house on fire too.

Rahul was miserable this week but I think he's just taking it very seriously. I think he's peaked, unless all the bakes in the final really play to his strengths. Ruby is probably going to win; she's so steady. I like Kim-Joy but she's a bit variable. I don't honestly mind who wins. Paul is a tit and Prue was very headmistressy this week: 'Now is not the time to make mistakes.' Sod off Prue.

I watched The Block too! I was on maternity leave at the time and it must have been a repeat because I remember watching it in the middle of the day while still in bed with my then newborn. They were the days 😀

I'd love Ruby to win but i have a feeling it might be Kim Joy. Just because she's signing copies of the latest GBBO book in my city next month!

DH was commenting that the technical challenges are getting more and more obscure. I eat bake a lot and I haven't come across a lot of them. He's stopped suggesting i put myself forward!

The Block sounds right up my street Schaden I would have LOVED that!

All my hope are pinned on Vanilla to bring the show back to what it should be, a feel-good baking contest with fair and constructive comment from the judges and some impressive bakes that we can kid ourselves we might be capable of if only we had the time.

@Myimaginarycathasfleas

When I win, you lot will be in the garden supporting me for the Final - and I will make sure that you all get the first slices of my ShowStopper cake. And I'll make sure you all get front row seats for the Extra Slice as well 

C'mon, we can do this together.

For those of you who have just joined this thread, here is my Cornish Pasty in the shape of Paul Hollywood again. I should be modest about my talents, but I really am an extraordinary and unique baker

FIVE PAGES in before I found you?

Sewing Bee is coming back??? YAYYYYYYYYYYY.
I shall expect a lovely cosy thread with lots of you lot on it, so I can discuss hemming and pattern matching and inserting an invisible zip successfully.

Also Vanilla are you posting pics from the app, because I can't see them and it is making me cry again? Can anyone help please? (I really want to see Pastry Paul)

I'm talking to myself again, aren't I?

Nope

I’m listening, but it’s rude to talk with my mouth full 😇

Thank goodness...I was getting bombarded with tumbleweed for a bit there!

I'm too busy sewing to watch sewing bee , but maybe I can tape it - its nice to pick up tips .
The one thing I really have disliked since going to C4 is the extra 15 minutes of adverts - that stupid break before they give out the results gives me the rage .
I wanted Briony to win, so now I am not fussed - I can't get worked up about any of them in truth

I am. I've tried to log into the website but it's not letting me. I think I've forgotten my password.

Oh no...no Pastry Paul for me!

Watching Extra Slice now...see if they say anything about Paul's manky attitude.