Bake Off 2019

[Hennysmommy]

Im wondering when its back on the telly? Have googled for an answer but no luck.. But i am useless at internet searches. And i dont buy a tv mag.

It seems like names out of a hat to me too

Is so random , really don’t think I can be bothered to watch it anymore. It’s all about the decoration and not the baking , the challenges are weird and then two random people get kicked out with no reference to their performance

I'm done. Last night's show was boring, Priya should have gone, and as many people have said, the lack of diversity of the contestants has meant the show isn't as watchable anymore. There's also been a nagging feeling that the show's run out of steam somehow.

I turned it off half way through the technical last night. I think the show has run its course too.

I can’t stand Hollywood and Prue is like a sheep beside him.

The format is tired now. I had to google Helena. Previously I’d have known all the contestants names. This year I didn’t know any.

It's been losing its appeal for a while for me. They're sending home the wrong people and it does seem that the first two rounds count for nothing and it all comes down to the showstopper.

Also seems more about outlandish decoration that the bake.
Seems they're keeping people in, not for their baking skills, but more because they make for 'better tv' - totally fed up with the drama of Michael crying every week - except that it's not better tv.
I'd rather it went back to having people who are great at baking and they are probably people who have been baking for years.
Finally (rant almost over) just seems a bit more directed at those with social media and that is now the target market - maybe hoping for higher ratings?

I liked seeing Noel being kind to Michael when he had his panic attack- and Michael saying later that getting through was a victory for him.

I'd rather it went back to having people who are great at baking and they are probably people who have been baking for years.

This.

However the people who are great at baking don’t want to be asked to create a completed wedding cake in five hours with 1000 personalised icing figures of the bride and groom.

So not ‘exciting’ enough for the audience who want to see actual baking. But exciting (temporarily) for the social media fans who will watch it (temporarily).

That was some very odd judges’ decisions there.

I agree , when you compare the current tasks and bakers with the early series contestants such as Miranda Gore Brown, Holly Bell , Ed Kimber, Jo Wheatley, John Whaite et al you can see the drop in standards.

How you be in a baking completion andr have no knowledge of choux pastry or the different types of sponge . Surely you would practice at the very least

These contestants...never made choux pastry? Not sure what a sabayon is?
And naming no names, but one contestant looks plain grubby. Hair strewn around, dangly earrings, greasy make up. What happened to hygiene standards?
Why don’t they know the basics?
Haven’t they ever read a few cookbooks?
It seems to be more about the decorations, as pp have said.

However the people who are great at baking don’t want to be asked to create a completed wedding cake in five hours with 1000 personalised icing figures of the bride and groom.

I think that might be the problem.

I think I would enjoy more of a ready, steady cook approach, where contestants are given a tray of ingredients and have to make a cake for a bake sale or something.

I think I would enjoy more of a ready, steady cook approach, where contestants are given a tray of ingredients and have to make a cake for a bake sale or something.

I would too.

I remember when Bake Off used inspire me to try to actually make something (basic). It also used make me want to settle down with a cup of tea and a nice slice of something sweet. It felt warming if that makes sense. It has changed to being a stressed out reality show format.

I think I would enjoy more of a ready, steady cook approach, where contestants are given a tray of ingredients and have to make a cake for a bake sale or something.
That would be a good idea - or a simple thing like a Victoria sponge or scones but cooked to a very high standard. When I was did Home Economics at school the teacher criticised sponge cakes on the basis of the shape of the holes - nitpicking but high standards.

Great British Sewing Bee is getting a bit like that too. I was urged by some family and friends to apply this time but didn't. I can make good quality, wearable clothes but faced with making an origami outfit (like last season) I wouldn't have a clue. The earlier series made better clothes.

I’m a good baker, I’m fairly adventurous and happy try out lots of things.

I would never apply because I would hate to have to express myself through the medium of biscuit and have never had even the slightest inclination to bake a chandelier.

It’s all about style over substance there.

I do however make a mean eclair.

My sheep-farmer friends confirm that sheep do indeed have a death wish.

After watching last night's Bake Off, so do I.

I don't think michelle should have gone. How on earth did Priya stay?

It looked a bit random?? Though Helena didn't follow the brief on either bakes perhaps they didn't taste great either but didn't understand Michelle going.

How long do they have from finding out they're selected to first bake in the tent? Because if I was picked I'm sure I would spend the time beforehand practising the basics so I knew how to make choux pastry, Genoese sponge etc. I'll continue to watch but do think the baking's not up to scratch this year.

Why is Pryia still in?????

I know!!! She's stuffed up royally two weeks in a row. And Helena won the technical this week and still went I'll really miss her; she's funny and warm.

I didn't like Michelle much (bit of a cow, I think) but she is better than Priya.

I'm glad they didn't send Rosie home just for dropping a cake though; she's a good baker. I really laughed at her comment about how rabbits 'just want to die'.

It was a stitch-up sending Phil home and it was even more blatant this week.

1920s baking !!!! Was it so different? I fell asleep through it and woke up to see those cakes that looked all the same, the one with the sweet pattern of flowers that were stylish was criticised for being too PALE ?

I used to record it but no more I am going off it too.

I think success/fail in the technical can be a red herring - they have to rank them to make the format work, but some weeks it will be everyone made something edible and delicious, other weeks 'these are all shit, but yours is least worst'.

In the weeks where everyone is shit, they probably just ignore that round and judge on the 2 rounds the contestant has control over.

Yes, but not all the technicals were shit this week; Helena's was just the best.

I'm mainly puzzled about how Priya is staying in.

Well be still as puzzled when Priya wins, and I think she will.

Catching up on the thread, so sorry if I'm repeating stuff. Nice to hear David is lovely irl squid, I'll root for him as well as Michael (cos he works at the RSC and I like the RSC!) from now on. But I like Henry too. My daughter told me she'd read Henry and Alice were dating, that can't be right can it? He's only 20.