Where There's Cake, There's Hope...Bake Off 25

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The new series starts on Tuesday 2nd September and the bakers have been named. A few weeks earlier than recent seasons, so taking us nicely from late summer through to the cosiness of autumn.

No change to the team of Paul, Prue, Noel and Alison, which I thought worked well last year - it was a warmer and kinder programme than it has been for a few years.

The usual eclectic mix of contestants, but less of an age spread than some years - a lot of 30 somethings, no-one under 20 or over 60.

Anyone else excited for this season?

The Great British Bake Off confirms return date for season 16 and reveals cast | Radio Times

I like Tom's! Never mind biscuits, that's my dream house. Another candidate for star baker maybe. Can't remember how he did in the other challenges.

He’s been deserving of a hand shake for a while

So who goes ?????

Aaron??

Place your bets!

A handshake in the showstopper has to put him in the lead for star baker at this point.

More difficult decisions this week.

Jasmine initially looked like star baker with her amazing box but Tom might just pip her to it

Also really liked jasmine and the woman who went first with the painted box

Tom for star baker.

Leighton to go?

Well done Tom and your Danish granny inspiration!

Poor Leighton.

Aw, I'm sorry to see him go.

I was predicting Leighton was going to go

Sorry to see him go though

A bit sad for Leighton, but overall he is the weakest baker.

Disagree! Pui Man has had disasters today. Who goes onto bake off without being prepared to have to make caramel?

It was a good episode. Nobody is annoying. It's off to a good start.

Aw, I think he was the right one to go but I did like him, and particularly that he stayed cheerful even when he was struggling. Poor old Lesley really didn't look like she was having fun for the first two challenges.

That's true. I'm not doing the "oh I hope you leave, you irritating baker" about anyone yet.

Caramel is notoriously unpredictable though. Jane Beedle on the Bake Down Podcast has a running joke about caramel being her nemesis because it's always fine at home but was always terrible in the tent.

I think caramel making is totally unpredicatable. Everytime it seems to have a different personality.

Agree that noone is really annoying. Yet! The bakers all seem like a really nice bunch.

@ALittleHumptyDumpty - I know what you mean about going into Bake Off not knowing how to do caramel (which is different to knowing but still finding it tricky). But I guess there are a lot of baking techniques and she got caught out. Maybe many of the contestants have one 'common' technique that they don't know much about? She did manage an approximation of a caramel, if I recall correctly.

I liked Leighton - he was fun on the show. I wonder how much of the decision is affected by a contestant being close to the wire the previous week.

Some of the decoration was beautiful but I think the most impressive were those using completely different types of biscuit rather than similar biscuits with modified flavourings/icing. I would love to have seen Natalia’s showstopper without the handicap of the hot tent - not just the construction but macarons and viennese biscuits in the tent must have been a nightmare.

Tom deserved star baker but I’d like to have seen Jasmine get a handshake thise week.

I liked Leighton - he was fun on the show. I wonder how much of the decision is affected by a contestant being close to the wire the previous week.
@C8H10N4O2
I think officially not at all but I agree he was probably more vulnerable having been weak last week too. And the technical is renowned for not having as much impact on the judging, so it made sense that Pui Man's stronger showstopper cancelled out her absolute car-crash of the hobnobs.