Great British Bake Off 2023

freshpopcorn

Well we've a return date and a new presenter.

miamee

Great, there should be a bit of fun with Alison and Noel! And I'd imagine she will get along with contestants quite well too

DvB

Really looking forward to this, real comfort TV.

freshpopcorn

Meet the bakers of 2023!

freshpopcorn

Anybody else watching?

Damien360

Watching here with family. Likeable enough bunch so far.

siblers

Some very impressive show stoppers and a nice enough crowd. Alison had a couple of funny moments so far, she's quite likeable

Sunny Dayz

A good start to the new series. I liked the new presenter, a little shouty at times but she strikes me as the type of person who would naturally have a loud voice. I liked most of the contestants, one or 2 I didn't warm to. I don't think they should have anyone go home on the first episode.

HeidiHeidi

A very likeable bunch this time! No obviously annoying ones - yet.

I fear I'm going to have very limited patience with Alison - that exaggerated accent, she could turn down the volume just a bit, the seemingly forced over-good humour (maybe it's not but always seems like it to me) - but hey, she's only one of 4, so I'll just have to put up!

Is that the first time they've given them the cake from the opening credits to make? Incredible if so! Great challenge, seemingly simple but then you have to do it perfectly - and the dilemmas over whether to leave the raspberry on or off 🤣

That foraging girl who did the sheep looks like an early front-runner - although I thought her sheep was a bit cartoony looking with the head and legs modelled from rice crispies, was delighted she didn't get star baker when others carved their whole animials from cake and went for the more realistic look.

And Tasha looks set to challenge them week on week with her unusual flavours - I hope she lasts the distance, she's very likeable.

The only downside is that between the storm and rain outside, and commenting on Bake Off, it makes me feel like winter is here 😭

TheIrishGrover

That was enjoyable. Nice bunch. Should have a bit of fun with a few of them. The new presenter is a bit hyper but she is on other shows and she'll get into the swing of it (Remember how nervous Mat Lucas was at the start?)

But the show lives and dies on the likeability of the contestants. They need to be personalities without being Big Brother trash. There have been a couple of years where the contestants were very competent but dull as dish-water so it's a fine line

freshpopcorn

Most likable bunch with years on it for me. Even the one I found annoying wasn't the worst.

miamee

That was a pretty good first episode, I always feel sorry for the first person to go home and to be fair they were all pretty good. No one had a disaster - at lest not a huge disaster!! There were a few that could have gone so will be watching for them to improve in the next episodes. I think Alison Hammond did ok although they harped on the beaver joke for a bit longer than necessary 🤣

.red.

Very good first episode.

I really think that nobody should go home on the first week, then 2 to go on the second.

Alison is LOUD, but likable, I'd say she could be great craic to have a few drinks with, but you couldn't be around her with a hangover.

DvB

Good first episode IMO. No issues with it at all, don't mind Alison Hammond either, she's a friendly type without being a smart ar$e. Looking forward to seeing how the series plays out.

expectationlost

Noel said to Paul very close, all good, and Paul agreed... when 2 or 3 of them didn't get their chocolate ganache right???

Though Dana was the weakest. Although Amos messed up his cake.

HeidiHeidi

https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2023/0929/1408180-noel-fielding-says-bake-off-became-too-complicated/

Well is this is true, and they're "going back to basics" even a little bit, then it's a hallelujah from me!

Jellybaby_1

Felt sorry for Amos, it just seems cruel to send someone home on the first week.

DvB

I really think, similar to strictly, that they should keep them all for the first week and give them all 2 weeks to show what they've got, then on the 2nd week send the bottom 2 across the first 6 bakes home. Its ultimately the same result but at least no one goes on the first week.

siblers

They're a very strong crowd this year. Even the weaker ones are good. Keith last week seemed like he'd be in a while, surprised he did so bad this week but he had no chance really of staying. He needed someone to have a complete disaster

Alison seems like she's getting on the contestants nerves, she's a bit intense

DvB

Thought the judges got it spot on this week, Keith stood out at the bottom & Tasha across the 3 bakes was the most consistent (her biscuits in the signature looked & sounded delish!)

Theres 2 or 3 standing out for me now that look most likely to win it, but then again, it only takes 1 bad week & you're done.

Sunny Dayz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121191943#Comment_121191943

Agreed. I think one bad week and you're gone.

Pistachio19

Wasn't happy with last nights decision. I thought, solely based on this weeks bakes, that Dan should have gone.

jasonb

I thought it was very close, but Dan did well enough in the Signature, poorly in the Technical, and poorly in the Showstopper. Abbi did probably the worst in the Signature, poorly in the Technical, and ok in the Showstopper. The basically both had two bad ones and one good one, but Dan did better in his good one (Signature) than Abbi did in hers (Showstopper).

freshpopcorn

Date change!

miamee

Oh! Unusual, what's on tonight I wonder. Thanks for the info @freshpopcorn :)

Meauldsegosha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121250259#Comment_121250259

England v Italy in a soccer match.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121250259#Comment_121250259

Football I suspect.

expectationlost

Paul said they were all under proved so that means that the show didn't give them enough time to do that task.

Thargor

Really shows what a disaster the Boards.ie "upgrade" was when you see the Bake Off thread in low single digit posts week to week, it used to be impossible to keep up with this thread...

I assume deaf girl is gone? Sad if so she was very likeable.

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121256609#Comment_121256609

Agreed - all these telly threads are barely limping along, and they used to be such fun ☹️

Tasha isn't gone - she was ill last week, had to leave during the technical, so will be back next week and two bakers will be eliminated.

Sunny Dayz

Poor Tasha, she didn't look well. The sceptic in me thinks she pulled a sickie cos she didn't do well in the first challenge but she really didn't look good. And I do like her.

Lucky for the other contestants that there was no elimination this week as I think Saku and Christy were in trouble. There's something about Dan I can't warm to. I quite like Dana and Rowan. I literally only just noticed Josh last night, I don't remember him from any of the other episodes.