I finished Season 2 of English bake off & it's pretty marvellous
Jo's such a love - bubbly but terrified, Essex mum finally doing "something for herself". I read online that her husband was doing 16 years in jail for money laundering at the time. Which just made me love her more. she seemed like she mightve had a hard life & that confirmed it
and MaryAnne!! What a treat. Rugby champion, baking historian, mum, wizard. Amazing. She has a book!
Janet was hilarious - mr veg said her facial expressions reminded him of Beaker from the muppets
lots of great women in this season.
As for the guys -
dreamboat Rod turned out to be a bit of a disaster, very disorganized, bit too cavalier. he definitely put the wind up Paul, I've never seen the silver fox come down on a baker like he did with Rod.
sweet baby Jason had sooooooo much potential, very talented for one so young but was just a tad too green for the big leagues. Definitely fun to watch though.
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 14 March 2017 22:52 (seven years ago) link
I just finished the Chetna season! I really admired Richard for his ability to laugh at himself, and it was sad to see him crumble in the last week, though I would've been fine with any of the final three winning. (When they showed a picture of a young Richard with a full head of hair, I can see why Veg might crush on him!)
One episode into the next season, and watching Ruby struggle with her lack of self-confidence is so painful (I empathize with her completely), I'm not sure I can handle a whole season's worth (I caught a random episode of this season on PBS and know she hangs around for at least a little while).
― Downtown Julie Mau (Leee), Tuesday, 14 March 2017 23:59 (seven years ago) link
Rubes is one of my favorites, I love her so much.
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 15 March 2017 02:01 (seven years ago) link
She looks like the daughter of Saffron Burrows and Elizabeth Berkeley, plus her look of utter astonishment when she was Star Baker in bread week was lolz.
That aside, this cast is so much less likeable than the previous one! So many stubborn people and/or people whose insecurities are showing. :(
― Downtown Julie Mau (Leee), Wednesday, 15 March 2017 03:48 (seven years ago) link
Yeah... it grew on me though. Francis is kind of a crazy sorcerer with her amazing showstoppers, i'm in awe of her creativity
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 15 March 2017 03:56 (seven years ago) link
Slight crush on Kimberley from that season. And Howard is all-time great.
Richard had a weird Martin Freeman vibe, I thought
― Chuck_Tatum, Wednesday, 15 March 2017 11:40 (seven years ago) link
(in a good way)
I wrote a tl:dr blog post about GBBO for my own amusement...
http://tourdefrump.blogspot.com/2017/03/perfection-failure-and-why-great.html
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 16 March 2017 03:10 (seven years ago) link
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/mar/16/noel-fielding-and-sandi-toksvig-to-host-new-great-british-bake-off
Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig to host new Great British Bake OffNew presenters will join new judge Prue Leith and Bake Off stalwart Paul Hollywood in the Channel 4 version of the show
New presenters will join new judge Prue Leith and Bake Off stalwart Paul Hollywood in the Channel 4 version of the show
― Autumn Almanac, Thursday, 16 March 2017 22:38 (seven years ago) link
That should kill it off then.
― Ongar Is An Energy (Tom D.), Thursday, 16 March 2017 22:49 (seven years ago) link
Yay! I love Noel
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 16 March 2017 23:04 (seven years ago) link
Veg, are there spoilers in your post?
Oh heavens, just watched the Great Custard Tart Massacre. Those bakers were just brutal to the poor custards!
Hearing that she is/was studying philosophy makes Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby so hot. (Sorry.)
― Mhysa Jar Jar Binks (Leee), Friday, 17 March 2017 04:51 (seven years ago) link
no spoilers (at least I'm pretty sure not)
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 17 March 2017 04:54 (seven years ago) link
I've seen Ruby IRL (just randomly crossing the road near where I live) and she is absolutely gorgeous.
― syzygy stardust (suzy), Friday, 17 March 2017 07:08 (seven years ago) link
ruby def has the most interesting post-show career / life
― not even my mate ross king sniffed out this hot gossip (bizarro gazzara), Friday, 17 March 2017 12:32 (seven years ago) link
ruby's cookbooks are both really good - bf also swears by james from s3's brilliant bread
― lex pretend, Friday, 17 March 2017 13:39 (seven years ago) link
ruby is ofc ace on twitter
(this thread popping up is so bittersweet - love VG's enthusiasm but i still can't believe the greedy fucks at love productions headshotted it right at its peak and it'll never be the same again)
― lex pretend, Friday, 17 March 2017 13:40 (seven years ago) link
true
the schadenfreude lols that they paid millions of quid for a show and then three-quarters of the presenters told them to fuck off aren't enough to make up for it either
― not even my mate ross king sniffed out this hot gossip (bizarro gazzara), Friday, 17 March 2017 14:19 (seven years ago) link
Third time 'round for "Everyone likes Sandi Toksvig, let's sneak her in to replace a irreplaceable beloved presenter"
― Chuck_Tatum, Friday, 17 March 2017 14:22 (seven years ago) link
ruby's cookbooks are both really good ― lex pretend
― lex pretend
pvmnic!
― kinder, Friday, 17 March 2017 14:24 (seven years ago) link
i have always enjoyed and taken an interest in delicious food!
― lex pretend, Friday, 17 March 2017 15:24 (seven years ago) link
yeah after my excitement over Noel Fielding being announced I realized (stupidly) ohhhhh right this will be a totally different show now :/
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 17 March 2017 16:33 (seven years ago) link
i find it hard to imagine noel fielding and paul hollywood having much chemistry
― not even my mate ross king sniffed out this hot gossip (bizarro gazzara), Friday, 17 March 2017 16:35 (seven years ago) link
what's the mary berry replacment like? i havent heard of her
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 17 March 2017 16:47 (seven years ago) link
a national treasure, basically
― not even my mate ross king sniffed out this hot gossip (bizarro gazzara), Friday, 17 March 2017 16:47 (seven years ago) link
oh wait, you're talking about prue leith not sandi toksvig
prue leith is... okay i guess? she's always seemed a bit remote to me in a way that i'm not sure will be a great fit for the show
― not even my mate ross king sniffed out this hot gossip (bizarro gazzara), Friday, 17 March 2017 16:50 (seven years ago) link
I glanced at the headlines about this and thought to myself "is there another Noel Fielding I don't know about?" Apparently the answer is no.
― Rachel Luther Queen (DJP), Friday, 17 March 2017 17:35 (seven years ago) link
Mel and Sue are 50-75% of the show for me, so once they're gone, so is my interest. (Are they a comedy team? They have great timing.)
― Mhysa Jar Jar Binks (Leee), Friday, 17 March 2017 18:09 (seven years ago) link
They are.
― Heavy Doors (jed_), Friday, 17 March 2017 18:15 (seven years ago) link
mel & sue have been a comedy team since the 90's <3
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 17 March 2017 18:27 (seven years ago) link
mel & sue also have a cameo as pet shop boys superfans in the (really really good) tour book "literally". iirc they follow the tour to Japan
― Chuck_Tatum, Friday, 17 March 2017 21:23 (seven years ago) link
Daily Mail have gone completely 'drugs, weird dress sense and friend of Russell Brand' apeshit!
― Mark G, Friday, 17 March 2017 22:51 (seven years ago) link
for a moment i forgot which thread i was reading, but with this specific quote it doesn't even matter. it could be about richard ayoade's bin night and this would still be a believable daily mail reference.
― fucking pop records (Autumn Almanac), Saturday, 18 March 2017 00:00 (seven years ago) link
Veg was right! The season 2/4 cast has uniformly grown on me.
I also read your blog, and your observation about the kindness of the judges is bang on. Like, on Project Runway, you'd have all the judges competing with each other to come up with the cruelest put-down.
― Mhysa Jar Jar Binks (Leee), Sunday, 19 March 2017 23:25 (seven years ago) link
And even though we definitely get to ogle the baking disasters, Paul and Mary aren't trying to be witty and "making good TV," they're simply giving the cast honest feedback! And this low-keyness gives the show its charms -- that and how the show doesn't overwhelm you with musical cues, especially during the judging, and like I said earlier, it's so refreshing.
(But of course, nothing ruins a good show like success.)
― Mhysa Jar Jar Binks (Leee), Sunday, 19 March 2017 23:31 (seven years ago) link
I can never not guffaw whenever someone mentions spotted dick.
― Mhysa Jar Jar Binks (Leee), Sunday, 19 March 2017 23:36 (seven years ago) link
Veggie, did you make it to the season with Scottish James with the fair isle tank tops etc? I think season three. He was my *hearts with eyes emoticon* and actually he lives locally, it seems, so I've seen him a few times around. So lovely.
― Heavy Doors (jed_), Monday, 20 March 2017 00:32 (seven years ago) link
Yeah I just finished that one! James was adorable & crazy talented but I wasn't a huge fan of him by the end...bit cocky? The five cakes for the finale had me rolling - ok Icaraus, sure go ahead LOOOOL
John was my heart-eyes emoji. Loved Brendan too. Big fan of dorky Sarah Jane, and was big into Kathryn - she was like a Spice Girl! She backsassed Paul Hollywood like no-one I've ever seen, str8 fire
Lotta good sorts in that season
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 20 March 2017 00:45 (seven years ago) link
Yay Lee, so glad you enjoyed s4! It's a slow burn but by the end it's hankies all over the place
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 20 March 2017 00:46 (seven years ago) link
Ha, I can't remember the details of the finale. A bit cocky indeed but I do love a highlander. Or an islander, was he? Yes Shetland, I think.
― Heavy Doors (jed_), Monday, 20 March 2017 01:01 (seven years ago) link
"Mel, I need a talking to..."
omg!!!!
― Mhysa Jar Jar Binks (Leee), Monday, 20 March 2017 01:16 (seven years ago) link
lol
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 20 March 2017 01:41 (seven years ago) link
Starting to dread Ruby's self-deprecation/expectation-lowering prefaces tbh.
― change display name (Jordan), Monday, 20 March 2017 20:16 (seven years ago) link
omg just watched the most recent season and am sobbing at nadiya winning. like, unhinged crazy person heaving sobs. i love her.
― horseshoe, Monday, 20 March 2017 22:40 (seven years ago) link
i love nadiya the most!!! i have watched that season like 3 times
it's the ultimate "you can do anything" storyline! even Mary Berry is bawling. it's so good
and her kids are 😍😍
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 20 March 2017 22:53 (seven years ago) link
i love all of her reactions & faces, and that line when she said she would rather give birth than bake (x) again was lololol
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 20 March 2017 22:55 (seven years ago) link
one of her kids cries when she wins!!! are you trying to destroy me, adorable bangladeshi british children?
― horseshoe, Monday, 20 March 2017 22:57 (seven years ago) link
i also love ruby she is like mesmerizingly beautiful yes this is shallow no i don't care
― horseshoe, Monday, 20 March 2017 22:58 (seven years ago) link
i was a little weirded out by nadiya's weirdo cream soda/bubble gum type flavors at times but i still love her.
― horseshoe, Monday, 20 March 2017 23:00 (seven years ago) link
yeah bubblegum would have made me barf
― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 20 March 2017 23:19 (seven years ago) link
https://bakingastherapy.wordpress.com/2012/10/21/bake-off-confidential-bittersweet-adventures-in-a-tv-show/
Lays out just how much they have to do during applications.
― Hello I'm shitty gatsworth (aldo), Monday, 11 December 2023 11:38 (four months ago) link
The quote about them reducing time isn't in that so must be in another of the gbbo tagged posts.
― Hello I'm shitty gatsworth (aldo), Monday, 11 December 2023 11:45 (four months ago) link
New year's Day special tomorrow and then the kid's series starts at 5 on Tuesday, daily for 3 weeks.
― koogs, Sunday, 31 December 2023 20:30 (three months ago) link
Oh, hooray, Junior BakeOff is the best.
― trishyb, Tuesday, 2 January 2024 22:21 (three months ago) link
Watched it today, we are all fans of Esme's glasses.
― This is Dance Anthems, have some respect (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Tuesday, 2 January 2024 22:49 (three months ago) link
Man, that invisible tart technical was a disaster. Such a classy bunch of kids to not lose the rag over it.
― trishyb, Thursday, 11 January 2024 19:58 (three months ago) link
yesterday's spoilers, and in fact the opening of today's show, showed one tilly dropping her final showstopper on the floor from a great height. why?
― koogs, Friday, 19 January 2024 17:05 (three months ago) link
Not spoiling the final, but it gets directly addressed.
― Hello I'm shitty gatsworth (aldo), Friday, 19 January 2024 18:46 (three months ago) link
Liam used the word 'flawless' in his wrap up
i didn't think it was great, too frou-frou, like an old lady cake
― koogs, Friday, 19 January 2024 19:01 (three months ago) link
Any talk of actual baking is overshadowed for me by Ilham's excellent attitude to royalty. Now that is a well brought-up young person.
― trishyb, Friday, 19 January 2024 19:33 (three months ago) link