Great British Bake Off 2023

Sleepy

Mrs Sleepy is a huge fan so I end up watching this by default every year. Alison Hammond is a HUGE improvement on Matt Lucas who I've always hated.

Navy blue

I think Dan was a bit unlucky to not get star baker last night. His technical was the only one that was absolutely perfect and his showstopper looked amazing. I think the judges were nit picking a bit when they said there wasn’t enough baked elements in it. It was incredibly complex compared to everyone else’s and looked the part too. Dan is my favourite but they are all a pretty nice bunch. I think Christy could be next to go, she has had a couple of poor weeks. Though in fairness, her heart shaped box looked amazing.

I really like Alison on it, I think she comes across really bubbly and friendly. Don’t think she’s quite as annoying for the contestants as Matt Lucas was but it’s early days yet - that could change!

Poochie05

I have to say I’m pleasantly surprised at how much I like Alison, I thought she’d be really annoying. I had thought Ellie Taylor would be great, as she did well filling in for Siobhan on the Pottery Throwdown, but she certainly didn’t work out on the Professional Bake Off, so it just goes to show!

I can’t warm to Tasha, but I do like Matty and was delighted for him. I like Saku but she was lucky she got a reprieve this week as herself or Cristy had a bad week.

jasonb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121257912#Comment_121257912

Ha! My wife says the exact same thing about Josh, she keeps forgetting he's in it! :)

miamee

Ah poor Tasha was probably overheating in her jumpsuit on the hottest day of the year in a tent full of ovens...I'm feeling a bit nauseous just thinking about it myself! It's only fair that they postponed knocking someone out until next week when everyone is back. Definitely would have guessed that Saku or Christy would have gone in week 4 if Tasha hadn't been sick (assuming Tasha did ok on the technical and the showstopper)

siblers

Tasha got almost no airtime this week, she still looked quite ill. The right 2 went anyway

jasonb

Yep, she definitely wasn't herself and looked quite tired/down at times.

Was delighted to see Kristy do well after her bad week last week, always good to see someone bounce back, sometimes when they have a bad week they put so much pressure on themselves that the next week is even harder for them!

Baking wise the right two went, but as characters I found them funny so it's a shame they're gone.

Sunny Dayz

Cristy did really well in her bakes, I thought she would have been at risk of going last week had there been an elimination. She found her grove this week. I felt sorry for Rowan, I really liked him but this week didn't work out for him. Josh is the dark horse of the season IMO, quietly working away in the background.

RoryMurphyJnr

Delighted for Cristy, she had a great week. Alison is doing a great job presenting, working well with Noel and good with the contestants

Kalimah

Thought the right two went last night. I don't like Noel at all- inane comments to the bakers and those awful outfits. Alison is quite good I think. I didn't think I'd take to her at all.

DvB

Agree. Think they pretty much got all 3 decisions correct this week. Though if they had Christy say she'd love to win star baker one more time I'd have thrown some cake at the TV.

Have to say I really like Matty, he comes across as a sound bloke, hope he goes far.

miamee

Just caught up this evening...I think it was pretty obvious who was going to go this week, they both had a pretty bad run. Rowans showstopper pies were awful.

It's always sad to lose some fun contestants though. I find Saku funny and I got a few laughs out of Alison this week too.

Looking forward to next week!

lmahoney79

Really like Alison on the show.....Noel needs to go now please!!! He thinks he is much funnier than he actually is and just seems to annoy the bakers and get in their way. He's been doing it long enough now, they need to replace him for next year.

siblers

Cristy is turning into a bit of a headmelt with the crying . Why wasn't she criticised like Matty was for not producing a showstopping looking bake?

lmahoney79

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121308478#Comment_121308478

She's really annoying me now.....its only cake!

Sunny Dayz

What was Cristy balling her eyes out for? Wasn't it just the outside that didn't go to plan. Couldn't she have tried to fix it or make up a different type of outside? I don't understand her melt down over it.

On the Bake Off things quite often don't work out, you need to be able to step back for a minute and reassess. (Says me who had limited knowledge of baking! 😁 )

Mam1996

Was it a bit strange that Tasha, wasn't speaking at all?? She said for fear of not having the vocabulary or something but even during the judging when she had spoken previously with just short phrases she chose not to. Am I awful to think that maybe she's using it to her advantage 🤔 Anyway Paul loves her so she'll be fine

lmahoney79

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121309682#Comment_121309682

I was thinking the same thing, so if you're awful then so am I 😊

sammyjo90

I didnt find christies meltdown an over reaction. Has no one had anything gone completely wrong for them and cried when stressed out? I know i have and Ive not been overheated and in a competition 😅

She needed that mold to work out, otherwise nothing would hold up her layers. You cant just bung it in a bowl and set it in that. If your mold is fucked then thats your whole design gone. Plus like paul said, it was a very hot day and she ran the risk of not being able to set another one.

I too found the tascha thing a bit strange, but i cant comment on it really.

miamee

Cristy does seem to be very hard on herself and stressed out about not getting things exactly righ, she has high standards for herself but that is why she is so good. I really thought Matty was on the way out the door after his show stopper. Every one else did something really impressive but his was a bit plain in comparison.

I assumed when Tasha said she was more comfortable signing that it was because there were some complicated techniques being used in her bake and she wasn't confident in saying those words out loud. There is enough stress in the tent without putting pressure on herself to speak in what I am assuming is her second language or second mode of communication, sign language being her first.

expectationlost

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121314278#Comment_121314278

Tasha voice is very clear for someone born deaf/hard of hearing?

HeidiHeidi

The technical tonight!! 😱

Mr E

Technical was bruuuuuutal. How did Matty survive tonight? He wasn't even mentioned in the final critique.

Navy blue

I don’t think any of them did particularly well tonight. Matty’s bakes did seem to taste ok even though he had a bit of a ‘mare. I hate crème caramel or custard desserts in general and Dan’s flavour combo in his signature sounded revolting, but at least he’s trying to do something a bit different. Josh played it very safe flavour wise in the showstopper so think Dan deserved star baker tonight.

Have to say though, they’re not a particularly strong bunch this year. The last couple of seasons hasn’t had anything like the talent of the earlier years when it was on BBC

DvB

The year Jurgen got dumped out in the semi final had at least 4 or 5 bakers better than any of this years or last years crop IMO. That was actually the last strong year I can remember.

Thought they got both decisions correct last night myself, have to say the only one that I cant take to so far this year is Cristy, theres something about her I just cant warm to at all. She'll probably go & win it now.

HeidiHeidi

I'm not a fan of Alison at the best of times (although she's better on this than I thought she'd be, in fairness) - but her remark about never seeing butterflies, then admitting she has an astroturf "lawn" was a right clanger.

Whoosh, back down in my estimation she goes.

Mr E

There were two attempts at innuendo by Allison last night that just fell completely flat. Unfunny and forced.

Thargor

Noel is kind of flirting with one of the women a lot and its really cringe.

miamee

Just caught up on this today, although I knew who was sent home after a late night scroll on Twitter - raging. It was a poor enough effort from all, event he meringues were not very professional looking though Paul and Prue seemed to be happy enough with them. At first I was thinking that they hadn't been given enough time for the technical, an hour and a half to include a 40 minute bake. But every one of them went for 20 mins, 25 mins straight off so I'm not sure if it was inexperience or lack of time really. A shame to see Saku go but she hasn't really bowled the judges over with anything recently.

Trigger Happy

I am finding Noel a lot more cringy this season than past seasons. I am warming to Alison more than I thought I would.

The contestants are definitely not as good as in previous seasons and in general the challenges not as difficult. But that makes for a more exciting competition which I like. I was sad to see Saku leave last night- she seemed a really good person.