Great British Bake Off starts Tuesday 13th September

[5foot5]

I couldn't see an existing thread on this, apologies if there is and I missed it.

Anyway, as it says in the thread title. New series starts tonight.

Yay!

Definitely right two to go. I'm glad Carol has stayed despite Paul's insistence that she's at the bottom.

I am sorry to see James go, I loved his cheeriness. Poor Rebs is devastated but she was definitely bottom.

Who is going to apply for series 14? Not if I'm going to have to make savoury sandwich cakes and tacos 🤢

Surely Rebs can't be as shocked as she appeared. She's been bottom two/three every week.

I wonder if it's all a bit of an act with Rebs. Every week she's had meltdowns over something and maybe she's been advised it makes good telly 🤷🏻‍♀️

Rebs and her coffee shimmer lipstick has gone then.

I don't think.there's any evidence of that at all. She's slightly out of her depth and she's struggled every week. They will all have invested months of work into this and it will be devastating to leave. I'm surprised so many of them manage to hold it together, to be honest.

She was hugely out of her depth and young. It's supposed to be a baking competition, not a looks good on Insta/TikTok status post.

Unfortunately, every year the producers select people who don't have enough depth of experience - presumably because they think it's good tv.

Rebs was exploited, but she was daft not to recognise that she wasn't good enough.

I disagree a bit over Rebs. She got through the first few weeks of Bake Off. That alone is something to be proud of.

She may never have been a serious contender for the win, but that shouldn't make her feel like she wasn't good enough. It's still great just to be there and hang on for a bit.

I too get a spidey sense that Paul Hollywood is a bit ungracious/dismissive to both Dawn and Carole, women in their maturer years - speaking as one who won’t see 50 again myself. Can’t put my finger on it exactly but there’s just something offhand in his manner to them. A couple of times Pru has been quick to jump in with a positive comment to counter whatever he’s just said.

Dawn’s Tres Leches cake looked amazing and obviously tasted fantastic.

Paul has always been like that with older female contestants.

I did think that Dawn was going to get a handshake for that Tres Leches cake, but no . . .

Just catching up now, and at the judging stage of the cookery test.

Not loving how Paul practically has his head on the plate to take a bite. Food to mouth Paul, not mouth to food <tuts loudly> 😞

I bet Rebs makes brilliant bakes, just not the weird ones they've had to do in the last couple of weeks. And yes, massive achievement to make it into the tent at all, although I do wonder if the same criteria is used in looking for contestants as it was back in the day. Looking forward to seeing how Rebs comes across on An Extra Slice.

I agree.

But he's always been dismissive of older women. The opposite with the younger ones - sometimes his behaviour around them was 😬 (to me, anyway).

I bet Rebs makes brilliant bakes, just not the weird ones they've had to do in the last couple of weeks.

Wouldn't surprise me if you're right.

No-one would enter a baking programme and expect to be given half the taks that the judges are asking for now.

Somewhat reasonable, they're probably expecting to BAKE something - not construct a scale model of Notre Dame from marron glace, or whatever.

Personally I have had enough of Paul Hollywood. I would be very happy for a change in the male judge. I don't mind Prue but if they wanted to change both I wouldn't mind. Noel and Matt aren't great either really.

Perhaps this programme has run its course for me.

I'm still a bit annoyed that Dawn didn't get star baker. And usually I hate it when it clearly only goes on showstopper. Hers was the best bake of the day.
No one did particularly well in the first two challenges, everyone had a bad comment in the first round, dry or bland or dense.
And the technical should never have happened.

I'm feeling the same way.

Don't bother watching it all the way through and only came on today to see who got booted.

Paul can be horribly sleazy, Prue isn't Mary (who wisely jumped ship when it went to channel 4), and IMO neither Noel (whom I used to love) nor Matt are assets to the show.

And the challenges are getting beyond ridiculous.

I would really recommend The Great Australian Bake Off - episodes on All4.
The two judges are so kind and the tasks are really good and proper baking! It really is lovely, pleasant and interesting to watch. Also quite a contrast to the GBBO.

The milk soaked cake sounded horrible impossible to get right. Half of them were told theirs was too dry whilst the others were criticised for the mixture leaking out!

I thought Paul gave Dawn a really strange look and the camera stayed too long, it was really uncomfortable and awkward. I'm not sure I'd want a PH handshake anyway as he really aggressively pokes and prods everyone's bread/cake/steak/constructions!

That was a really odd look, wasn't it? I couldn't understand it.

I think the odd look was “hmm, shall I give you a handshake? Maybe…. But no”. Drama ramping up from the editors. But they don’t usually handshake for showstoppers.

@Maireas I'll give thag a watch! I can't stand the UKs masterchef because the Australian one is just so much better!

Do you know, I just love the Aussie version. Maggie is so sweet and kind, and Mike is lovely. Mel and Claire are genuinely funny presenters. The challenges are really good, interesting bakes. It's honestly such lovely TV.

Thank you!

I'll give this a go.