Well we've a return date and a new presenter.
Tasha got almost no airtime this week, she still looked quite ill. The right 2 went anyway
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)
Ha! My wife says the exact same thing about Josh, she keeps forgetting he's in it! :)
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Paul said they were all under proved so that means that the show didn't give them enough time to do that task.
Football I suspect.
England v Italy in a soccer match.
Oh! Unusual, what's on tonight I wonder. Thanks for the info @freshpopcorn :)
Date change!
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).
Wasn't happy with last nights decision. I thought, solely based on this weeks bakes, that Dan should have gone.
Agreed. I think one bad week and you're gone.
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.
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
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.
Felt sorry for Amos, it just seems cruel to send someone home on the first week.
Well is this is true, and they're "going back to basics" even a little bit, then it's a hallelujah from me!
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.
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.
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.
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 🤣
Most likable bunch with years on it for me. Even the one I found annoying wasn't the worst.
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
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 😭
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.
