Bake Off - coming soon! (title edited by MNHQ)

[MotherOfGodWeeFella]

Just seen the trailer...looking forward to it.

I felt so bad for Amos, I was hoping the new softer bake off would do a JBO and announce that the person going home is.....nobody. But sadly no. What a downer to get that far, put all the work in and go home in week 1. I think I heard that the Week 1 leavers from all seasons have a secret club that welcomes and consoles the newest member.

Feeling good about this years GBBO.

All the bakers seem decent sorts so far.
The challenges were all proper baking and reasonable tasks.
Timing seemed generous enough for some to do truly beautiful bakes.
AH was pitch perfect - a warm and steadying influence.

Hopeful this all continues.

I just watched on catch-up. Like all the contestants this year - or at least, nobody stands out yet as being very annoying, which they always have in previous years! I'm not hugely fond of either Alison or Noel, but can live with them as they don't seem to be doing much.

Tasha does have quite unusual eyes! Maybe coloured lenses. It sounds like she must have had some hearing as a child, as she seems quite comfortable talking back rather than signing. I don't know her backstory yet. Even now she seems to have some hearing but depends on the interpreter for the main bits. I think she will be on for at least a while because a lot has been said about her being a role model which they probably wouldn't have been saying if she'd left in week 2.

I liked Dan a lot, good at baking and not a show-off or pretentious about it, which some of the previous men who were good have been. I think Abbi might go far too, and maybe Suka, becasue they like that story arc of very nervous woman gaining confidence, and she seems to have nice combinations and designs that they like. I thought it could have been Amos or Dana to go home, but thought Matty would be the first choice for that as he seemed to struggle with basics. The others are all a bit of a blur for me now, all seemed fine and nice but not yet standing out one way or the other.

Been sharing your comments with Dan
He says thank you all for your support!

OK I've caught up, so checking in! I LOVED it!!

Really liked the bakers, and Alison was fine, I think it's going to be a good year!

Agree with this. I don’t think sending Amos home was the right choice and it was all based on the showstopper.

Rewatching it with the kids (who have buggered off to their rooms 😑)

So far I'm really liking Alison, but I've been a fan of her since her BB days when she broke the table. And her hair looks amazing too!

Dan's voice reminds me of a narrator from a CBBC programme, but I can't think which one.

Is it just me or does anyone else watch GBBO and have a constant commentary of "yeah I'd have that, I'd eat that, yep, yep, I'd definitely eat that!" I saw it about nearly everything made 🐷

OMG I didn't realise that it was Dan who was your brother! I thought it must be one of the ones that I didn't remember, as I couldn't remember his backstory or where he was from. He was definitely my front-runner after last night, but I know that they often show people doing well at the start who don't always carry on that way. I didn't know they weren't allowed to tell people that they were even on it - I knew they'd have to be secret about the winner, but I can't see how you'd keep the show itself a secret. Surely all the practising must give it away?! And travelling every weekend or however they do the filming. At least to your own household and work, who'd notice you weren't there and that you were bringing cake samples at every occasion. Maybe bakers of this standard do that all the time though. I'm always very impressed that the winners' children (or even the children of other competitors, who end up at the final tea party/prize announcement) can keep it secret, despite all the pressure from people at school or whatever - maybe not so hard before it's broadcast as no-one would know, but after it starts, lots of people must be asking them who wins or if their parent won or whatever.

I honestly don't know how they kept it so quiet
My mum must of been dying to say something
She told me today the rhubarb & custard cake is good

Loving that we have an MN family member to root for! Go Dan!

Wasn't going to watch this year as I'd got fed up with the ridiculous not really baking tasks needing to be done in ridiculously short amount of time.

Then I had the radio on the other day and the what's on TV guy was talking about how they had listened to feedback and made the task more realistic and traditional. So I figured I'd give it a try.

Glad I did. I enjoyed it. Like the contestants and really like Alison. I think she's even managed to make Noel less irksome.

Hopefully the tasks will really be more old school.

I agree that the assignments were getting too far fetched and ridiculous.

I remember earlier series where bakers were asked to make shortbread or a Victoria sandwich. I am more interested in seeing proper baking rather than how artistic the bakers are TBH.

I loved it! Alison was great, a really good choice, and the vertical layer cakes were amazing. I really want to bake one now!

I liked the technical. Even though they said they were all good, one person put too much chocolate in and others had liquid ganache - so it did show up differences.

I've also asked the question regarding who does the washing up?!

They had runners who would take the dirty and replace with clean , you just motioned to them!

Did you not notice the same cakes being made repeatedly, or do you not live close enough to him for that? And going away every weekend for at least a few weeks - they must have to plan for up to 12 weeks. Or maybe it's not as ordered as that, maybe it's a month away all at once or something, but you'd think people would still guess.
I can't believe that they aren't allowed to tell people that they were even on it until it's shown!

Are you tempted to try to get him to reveal the winner or what happens in various weeks or what things went well/badly? I don't know if I'd want to know actually if I wanted to watch it properly, but I can imagine it must be tempting to want to know something that other people don't know. And your Mum must know how well he did, even just by how many times he had to go away.

I also liked the choice of tasks that we've seen so far, much more traditional and things that I could imagine myself making perhaps, rather than just really exotic things or impossible to make in the right time. I still don't like that they only give partial instructions in the technical, as that makes it a guessing game rather than a baking comp.

How did he hide being out of circulation so long?

I do hope when they get to the biscuit round It focuses on making nice-tasting biscuits rather than ridiculous construction tasks.

I don't know Alison Hammond at all but I know she's got a rep for being annoying. She was great! A really good foil for Noel. You need the zany balanced with warmth which is kind of what Mel and Sue had.

Much better than nasty Matt

I like Alison - since her big brother days.

i think she’s perfect for this- warm and genuine and clearly excited to be there.

Matt didn’t fit in at all.

Wasn't sure about Alison as a presenter but she was great. She's dialled it down and has just the right tone now.

Which northern actress does Chrissy look like? Especially when she has her long fringe down.

Just a reminder that Bake Off Extra Slice is at 8pm tonight. Jo and Tom with Alison Hammond, Stephen Mangan and Michelle Visage.

Was Matt nasty?

First time I've tuned in to extra slice and loving it!