Great British Bake Off 2018 [** Spoilers **]

Toots

Just watched it there now. At first I thought Manon was robbed, but in all fairness, she didn't do Danish stuff - it was all French. Rahul's stuff might have been awful, but at least it was awful and Danish, so on Danish week awful and Danish wins over awful and French.

It's funny seeing Manon and Rahul coming unstuck in this round - previously Manon could always have done a French version of the brief, and Rahul always gave his stuff an Indian twist. This week when they had to do a specific type of baking and couldn't add their "trademark" take on it, they both really struggled.

Addle

Ya, his mammy was no help this week and it showed.

confusticated

Addle wrote: »

In fairness to the fella, i wouldn't agree that he has no sense of humour.
He's not living in UK very long.
I'd say a lot is lost in translation.

I thought he was in the UK seven or eight years? I think he just doesn't get Noel really. Seems to look at him like a big friendly bird swooping down on him or something!

He usually stresses me out and makes me feel sorry for him as he's so anxious, but I couldn't feel that this week. Seriously like, making his own cheese?! He definitely knows how good he is really, even though this week went badly. Agree that he should have gone, a burnt showstopper has to be worse than an unfilled one.

ChannelNo5

jellybear wrote: »

It's funny, my two favourites were Rahul and Dan..most here don't like either!! Couldn't stand Jon...and most here love him! It's my first year watching bake off and my husband and I can't understand the whole 'let's help each other out when our cake goes wrong...let's wear Hawaiian shirt in honour of Jon' nonsense. At the end of the day it's a competition. Maybe we just prefer the more competitive and cut throat type of competition!!

I agree here. Didn't like Jon at all and here's the kicker that's going to get me shot... i cannot abide Kim Joy. The blubbing because they didn't fall all over her made me want to throw something at the TV. sorry! None of them did well and they all dealt well with the criticism.

I liked Rahul from the beginning, still do. I think he was genuinely shocked not to go this week. its wrong to blame him too. if the producers are pulling a fast one that's not his fault. I'm not saying he shouldn't have gone this week but i'm glad he didn't .

gmisk

I think Rahul was very lucky not to go this week...they must have taken into account how he did in the other weeks?

setanta1000

ChannelNo5 wrote: »

I agree here. Didn't like Jon at all and here's the kicker that's going to get me shot... i cannot abide Kim Joy. The blubbing because they didn't fall all over her made me want to throw something at the TV. sorry!

100% this - can't stand Kim-Joy. I think I have an issue with flittery head titly people with blue eye shadow :o

Gutted to see Manon go but I think Rahul is a hoot - I've worked with a number of people just like him and he reminds me of them so I'm behind him!

Addle

Rahul wears a wedding ring?
No word of a spouse though?

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

Toots wrote: »

Just watched it there now. At first I thought Manon was robbed, but in all fairness, she didn't do Danish stuff - it was all French. Rahul's stuff might have been awful, but at least it was awful and Danish, so on Danish week awful and Danish wins over awful and French.

It's funny seeing Manon and Rahul coming unstuck in this round - previously Manon could always have done a French version of the brief, and Rahul always gave his stuff an Indian twist. This week when they had to do a specific type of baking and couldn't add their "trademark" take on it, they both really struggled.

I don’t know about this - there are light coloured rye breads and there was no specification to make a dark rye bread. She worried that they’d be thrown by the colour - and they were. Is that her fault? IMO, she did try to make a rye bread. They said it didn’t taste like rye bread but they couldn’t taste Rahul’s at all because it was inedible. At leaat Manon’s bread seemed decent. As well as that, the decoration was supposed to be aesthetically-pleasing and Rahul’s wasn’t.

I’ve also read a bit about Danishes and there seems to little consensus about what they should be filled with. Additionally, Paul said that Rahul’s showstopper seemed ten minutes overbaked. If that’s true, then Rahul left his pastry in the oven nearly double the time it should have been. That’s shocking. His Danish pastry looked really awful to me. Whereas parts of Manon’s looked okay. I wouldn’t have even tried Rahul’s cremated-looking pastry but I would have tried Manon’s.

And though Manon was fourth in the technical, there seemed to gulf between hers and Rahul’s which were burnt.

So I still think Manon’s elimination was BS. We have a semi-finalist who fúcked up every single round of the quarter-final. That’s mad.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

ChannelNo5 wrote: »

I agree here. Didn't like Jon at all and here's the kicker that's going to get me shot... i cannot abide Kim Joy. The blubbing because they didn't fall all over her made me want to throw something at the TV. sorry! None of them did well and they all dealt well with the criticism.

I liked Rahul from the beginning, still do. I think he was genuinely shocked not to go this week. its wrong to blame him too. if the producers are pulling a fast one that's not his fault. I'm not saying he shouldn't have gone this week but i'm glad he didn't .

Agree actually. The criticism Kim-Joy received wasn’t that harsh.

stargazer 68

I really don't care who wins to be honest! Haven't really taken to any of the ones that are left. Maybe Im just tired of cooking shows :0

PlaneSpeeking

Dovies wrote: »

I really don't care who wins to be honest! Haven't really taken to any of the ones that are left. Maybe Im just tired of cooking shows :0

Take this 100% tbh - Ruby is alright and Briony is growing on me but Rahul makes me want to do a Hansel and Gretel and put him in the oven!

KimJoy is a pox and a half really. Very fake.

Biggest surprise of the whole run ? I'm starting to like Noel Fielding!!

setanta1000

PlaneSpeeking wrote: »

Biggest surprise of the whole run ? I'm starting to like Noel Fielding!!

What????? Only now???? Noel Fielding is brilliant - did you not watch the Mighty Boosh and many seasons of Never Mind the Buzzcocks?

The man is a genius!

PlaneSpeeking

setanta1000 wrote: »

What????? Only now???? Noel Fielding is brilliant - did you not watch the Mighty Boosh and many seasons of Never Mind the Buzzcocks?

The man is a genius!

I didn't but by God am going to catch up!

What an idiot I was, he's a hoot!!!!

RhubarbCrumble

Aw Noel's brilliant! Best thing to ever happen to Bake Off. I never liked Mel & Sue, really loathed Sue actually. When they were presenting the show was all about them. They were so pushy and in your face. Noel's the complete opposite.

ChannelNo5

setanta1000 wrote: »

100% this - can't stand Kim-Joy. I think I have an issue with flittery head titly people with blue eye shadow :o

Oh thank God! I really thought i was the only one

Briony for me. i felt so bad for her when she dropped her were they tomato swans?

PlaneSpeeking

I read someone say "Briony, with her disability" - I've never seen any sign.

Am I being dense here ?

Aisling(",)

PlaneSpeeking wrote: »

I read someone say "Briony, with her disability" - I've never seen any sign.

Am I being dense here ?

She has one hand that has no fingers just a thumb.
I love that they haven't mentioned it! She's fantastic and shouldn't just be defined as the girl with the deformed hand. I'm hoping Briony to win :cool:

iamwhoiam

PlaneSpeeking wrote: »

I read someone say "Briony, with her disability" - I've never seen any sign.

Am I being dense here ?

https://www.ok.co.uk/celebrity-feature/1491211/bake-off-briony-hand-gbbo-what-happened-birth-defect-great-british

iamwhoiam

RhubarbCrumble wrote: »

Aw Noel's brilliant! Best thing to ever happen to Bake Off. I never liked Mel & Sue, really loathed Sue actually. When they were presenting the show was all about them. They were so pushy and in your face. Noel's the complete opposite.

He is a sweetheart and supports them with a gentleness about him

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

setanta1000 wrote: »

What????? Only now???? Noel Fielding is brilliant - did you not watch the Mighty Boosh and many seasons of Never Mind the Buzzcocks?

The man is a genius!

He’s grand. I’m not as enamoured with him as everyone else is. I love Sandi but don’t think she suits Bake Off. So I still miss Mel and Sue and preferred them on the show. And they were better at comforting contestants who were having a meltdown. And I definitely don’t agree that they tried to make the show about them. IMO, Noel is more guilty of that.

PlaneSpeeking

Aisling(",) wrote: »

She has one hand that has no fingers just a thumb.
I love that they haven't mentioned it! She's fantastic and shouldn't just be defined as the girl with the deformed hand. I'm hoping Briony to win :cool:

Wow I never spotted it - bloody good on her!!!!!!

setanta1000

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

He’s grand. I’m not as enamoured with him as everyone else is. I love Sandi but don’t think she suits Bake Off. So I still miss Mel and Sue and preferred them on the show. And they were better at comforting contestants who were having a meltdown. And I definitely don’t agree that they tried to make the show about them. IMO, Noel is more guilty of that.

Ah now - I can't imagine Mel or Sue coming up with the fab Vegan Week poem!! "It's vegan week, it's vegan week; so chop up a leek!" :D

nc6000

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

I don’t know about this - there are light coloured rye breads and there was no specification to make a dark rye bread. She worried that they’d be thrown by the colour - and they were. Is that her fault? IMO, she did try to make a rye bread. They said it didn’t taste like rye bread but they couldn’t taste Rahul’s at all because it was inedible. At leaat Manon’s bread seemed decent. As well as that, the decoration was supposed to be aesthetically-pleasing and Rahul’s wasn’t.

I was surprised at what a mess he made of the signature. All they had to do was bake a loaf of rye bread and make it into a nicely decorated open sandwich. I'm sure it's harder than it seems in the tent and being filmed etc but when you get to this stage of the competition you should really be able to produce bread which is at least edible.

Toots

I hope Briony or Ruby wins. I don't think Rahul deserves it after last week, and god help me, Kim Joy is annoying as fcuk. Her stuff looks lovely but Jesus. And the blubbing during the critique was ridiculous, she was already crying and they'd barely said anything. I had to rewind it to see had I missed them saying something really awful to make her cry that much.

.red.

Toots wrote: »

I hope Briony or Ruby wins. I don't think Rahul deserves it after last week, and god help me, Kim Joy is annoying as fcuk. Her stuff looks lovely but Jesus. And the blubbing during the critique was ridiculous, she was already crying and they'd barely said anything. I had to rewind it to see had I missed them saying something really awful to make her cry that much.

I thought Kim Joy over reacted with the crocodile tears too but she's received criticism before and took it on the chin.
Maybe it was the pressure got to her but I got the feeling it was something else, maybe she'd had a rough week at home, maybe something happened with work or with her boyfriend.
It just seemed out of character, she's always so bubbly and happy that the criticism tipped her over the edge.
I really like her, her decoration is usually second to none. I'm not sure if she can win from that alone tho as there are better and more consistent bakers.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

nc6000 wrote: »

I was surprised at what a mess he made of the signature. All they had to do was bake a loaf of rye bread and make it into a nicely decorated open sandwich. I'm sure it's harder than it seems in the tent and being filmed etc but when you get to this stage of the competition you should really be able to produce bread which is at least edible.

Totally agree. He really effed up the signature. Bread that turns back to dough at that stage of the competition - you’d think that’s unforgivable but apparently not!

setanta1000 wrote: »

Ah now - I can't imagine Mel or Sue coming up with the fab Vegan Week poem!! "It's vegan week, it's vegan week; so chop up a leek!" :D

I love silliness and bad puns so Mel and Sue were right up my street.

And it took painfully long for anyone to comfort Kim-Joy the other night and it was Sandi who did. Sue and Mel would have jumped right in there.

Overall, I preferred it on the Beeb. It’s subtly gone more reality TV on Channel 4.

fryup

Really fancied Manon, gorgeous french accent and face

well at least there's still Ruby to feast my eyes

Enzokk

.red. wrote: »

I thought Kim Joy over reacted with the crocodile tears too but she's received criticism before and took it on the chin.
Maybe it was the pressure got to her but I got the feeling it was something else, maybe she'd had a rough week at home, maybe something happened with work or with her boyfriend.
It just seemed out of character, she's always so bubbly and happy that the criticism tipped her over the edge.
I really like her, her decoration is usually second to none. I'm not sure if she can win from that alone tho as there are better and more consistent bakers.

I would guess its because she was actually very proud of her bake that it caught her off guard that it wasn't very good in the judges eyes. She did go from safe to potentially leaving on her bake so it must have been quite terrible.

This gets me to the editing, they can easily edit a show to highlight the negatives of one contestant to justify why they were eliminated and soften the critique that is given to the one that almost left. Take this week, Rahul had three terrible bakes, one inedible and sloppy, fourth and burnt in technical and a burnt showstopper but they showed the judges trying his decorations and commenting how nice they were.

They didn't show what the judges thought of Manon's decorations other than them saying they look great. So either they didn't try them at all and only judged hers on looks but tasted Rahul's, or the comments were actually favourable as well but in that case there is even less of a reason to eliminate her from the show.

With any show where there is judging involved you are going to get inconsistencies on criteria from episode to episode, even before taking into account that any judging is subjective. It does seem like the judges really got it wrong here from what they broadcast to the viewers, yet we didn't get to taste the food to make up our own mind. I don't mind Rahul other than wanting to tell him to get a grip and stop being so negative sometimes, but he really had to leave this episode as he was the worst over the three challenges.

Enzokk

Enzokk wrote: »

Take this week, Rahul had three terrible bakes, one inedible and sloppy, fourth and burnt in technical and a burnt showstopper but they showed the judges trying his decorations and commenting how nice they were.

They didn't show what the judges thought of Manon's decorations other than them saying they look great. So either they didn't try them at all and only judged hers on looks but tasted Rahul's, or the comments were actually favourable as well but in that case there is even less of a reason to eliminate her from the show.

During deliberations after they'd tasted all the bakes didn't Paul say something about Manon spending too long on her sweets and not enough on her bake? And minutes before he was ooohing over how nice Rahuls were. Am I misremembering that? Surely if anyone spent too long on their sweets it was Rahul, while his Danish was burning in the oven.

skearnsot

Didn’t expect Ruby to get star baker - thought Briony would

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

skearnsot wrote: »

Didn’t expect Ruby to get star baker - thought Briony would

Ruby edged it. People are forgetting that Briony had a terrible signature not far above Rahul. Ruby won the signature round. Ruby was middling in the technical. So Ruby was ahead going into the final round. Both Ruby and Briony had excellent showstoppers, with Briony slightly edging it. So Ruby and Briony were about even. Ruby was more consistent with it though so her getting awarded Star Baker makes complete sense to me.

jellybear

Needless to say, I didn't click into in but saw online that Ruby was apparently tricked into revealing who has won by a Sandi impersonator on Twitter! As I said, I didn't click into the story so no idea if the name has been leaked etc.

jellybear

jellybear wrote: »

Needless to say, I didn't click into in but saw online that Ruby was apparently tricked into revealing who has won by a Sandi impersonator on Twitter! As I said, I didn't click into the story so no idea if the name has been leaked etc.

Whaaaa? Oh no! I hope I don't accidentally see or hear who it is. I wanna surprise!!!!!

Sunny Dayz

SmallTeapot wrote: »

One thing I did note is that Paul and Prue were stone-faced when poor Kim-Joy (possibly the most positive cheery person in the history of GBBO) became teary. :eek: Mary Berry would have have stepped in and reassured her in some way. I felt Paul and Prue were particularly critical in this episode....

Yes I felt a hug really wouldn't have gone astray for Kim-Joy, she's such a lovely cherry person.

Sunny Dayz

Usually at this stage I have one person in mind that I'm rooting for to win - but not this year - I'm not really fussed who wins. Unless Rahul absolutely nails it next week, I think it will be between Ruby and Kim-Joy for the final. Oh but maybe Briony instead of Kim-Joy, I dunno. *shrugs shoulders*

Sunny Dayz

Sunny Dayz wrote: »

Usually at this stage I have one person in mind that I'm rooting for to win - but not this year - I'm not really fussed who wins. Unless Rahul absolutely nails it next week, I think it will be between Ruby and Kim-Joy for the final. Oh but maybe Briony instead of Kim-Joy, I dunno. *shrugs shoulders*

Yeah I sort of feel the same. Normally I'm focused on one person but this year I'd love if either Ruby or Briony won. And I'd be happy enough as well if Kim Joy won. Up until last week I didn't want Rahul to win but I felt he fully deserved to. But now I'm hoping he doesn't.

I'm not a fan at all of Rahul - his is too negative and it makes for stressful watching, so I'm hoping he goes next week.

I'd be more than happy for any of the three girls to win.
I have a soft spot for Kim Joy, though - she's so creative and I love the turtles, cats and all the animals - everything she makes looks adorable.

Tar.Aldarion

confusticated wrote: »

I thought he was in the UK seven or eight years? I think he just doesn't get Noel really. Seems to look at him like a big friendly bird swooping down on him or something!

He usually stresses me out and makes me feel sorry for him as he's so anxious, but I couldn't feel that this week. Seriously like, making his own cheese?! He definitely knows how good he is really, even though this week went badly. Agree that he should have gone, a burnt showstopper has to be worse than an unfilled one.

I'd say Noel's humour is quite hard for him to pickup on as a blow-in, however he does seem like he may just be a bit like that, not everybody gets social cues or humour. He might even know he doesn't get other people well and beats him and his confidence up over it.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

I don’t know about this - there are light coloured rye breads and there was no specification to make a dark rye bread. She worried that they’d be thrown by the colour - and they were. Is that her fault? IMO, she did try to make a rye bread.

They specially mentioned that they were trying light rye bread before they tasted it at one stage so they didn't take any issue with rye being light. It does however havea very distinct taste and she made something that tasted french to them. The only one that looked particularly good to me was Ruby's rye, as far as I remember.


I think it really sucked for Manon to mess up that week and go home, and that Rahul was worse, although she did stray from the brief and not really care she did either. His was the worst, I know they do sometimes take in the whole seasons performance, they usually said that in the past though.


Love Ruby, she's a genuine nice get on with it and say what she thinks person the things she says just make me laugh. Love Kim-joy And Briony too, Kim-joy is just being herself and probably knows a lot of people don't like it but just does her own thing that she herself likes, that is admirable. Briony never ever mentions the difficulty she must have doiong everything, and gets on with it too, sure she is a bit emotional but I feel people, including me, can be too harsh on that. My first instinct with Kim-joy crying this week was, why? But one has to realise that there is a lot of pressure on them and they care about this so much, it's not just one incident that set her over the edge. She's a lovely, upbeat person by nature and her designs are really nice, very artistically good. I wish they kept Terry just to see what he would come up with.

Rahul is just being who he is himself too, there's no fakeness about any of these contestants, he honestly just reminds me of friends that are on the spectrum but we don't know much about him or his past or his troubles, he may be self-deprecating by nature, it may be from bad experience, it may be just how his brain works but can see he honestly feels things quite badly.

RhubarbCrumble

If anyone has read Ruby's tweet (I haven't) and knows who the winner is, then PLEASE PLEASE do NOT post it here!

biZrb

It hasn’t been revealed. The guy who tricked Ruby said he won’t reveal it as he doesn’t want to spoil it for others.

He said ‘Despite having seen the Twitter messages, I’ve decided not to share the name of the winner as it would spoil it for millions of fans. I will accept a box of homemade cupcakes as a thank you, Ruby’

zenbuffy

Just catching up now, because for some reason, boards wouldn't load properly for me yesterday? :unsure:
I was delighted to have accurately guessed the technical challenge, but lacking the necessary pan, couldn't make it, and didn't really want to buy a unitasker item if I could avoid it. I didn't guess that I'd have to stick my danishes together into a girl/boy shape, so my bake isn't quite as accurate as usual. Oh well, we enjoyed eating them I suppose and that's the important thing!
The episode didn't go at all as I expected, I definitely thought Rahul was going home, and that Briony would get star baker, though I've seen arguments for Manon to go and for Ruby to get star baker, after the fact, that make some sense to me too. I suppose that we have to remember that there's so much edited out that we don't see, and there may have been things that played into the decision that didn't make the cut. 

I think the tears and atmosphere in the tent were a bit of a shock for some viewers this week, but tbh, I get it. It's so full on for the bakers. It's weeks of baking and thinking about baking and being judged, again and again, with no break. They're back in the tent every weekend, and they spend the week before practicing and thinking and planning. They've got to be so invested at this point and also, very likely, a little exhausted. I often feel the same way when rehearsing for a show - hitting a point where, even though I signed up for this, and I enjoy it, and I like what I'm learning, I'm also just overwhelmed by all that's being asked of me, and I'm tired of having no life, and I'm sad.
And it's hard when you are putting yourself out there, creatively. It's hard to separate "your thing isn't good" from "you, personally, aren't good" when you're already feeling a bit raw and a bit tired. Hell, I just bake for my family every week, and they're the most cheerful and receptive audience ever, and I still beat myself up about it, apologise to them for bakes that I feel are "sub-standard" and fret about what I'll make each week. The bakers are only human, they're not professionals, and they've put themselves out there in a very challenging way for weeks. I reckon they've earned a few tears here and there. Yes, it's just cake. But also, it's not just cake. 
Just my 2c on the changed atmosphere!

My bake for this week was two kinds of danish pastries. Raspberry, peach, and vanilla lattices, and chocolate hazelnut pinwheels. Pleased with the pastry, though imo I did overdo the pinwheels just a touch. The vanilla creme pat in both turned out delicious though, and the biggest challenge there was not just eating it all directly with a spoon!

I need to rewatch the preview for next week to figure out what to make now. I guessed that Patisserie week would be coming, it's always a fiddly one and it's best saved for those heading to the end game, so I'll be looking forward to seeing how they tackle that. I expect that KimJoy in particular will have absolutely beautifully decorated stuff, and I can't wait to see it.

The Rape of Lucretia

Deleted User wrote: »

Rahul could not be eliminated if it was any way close. They always try to keep a gender balance.

I think probably also concerned about having to organise suicide watch for him if he got the boot.

Hollywood handshake next week for him required as a life support boost from this week's squeeze through the eye of the needle.

bertsmom

The Rape of Lucretia wrote:

I think probably also concerned about having to organise suicide watch for him if he got the boot.

The Rape of Lucretia wrote:

Hollywood handshake next week for him required as a life support boost from this week's squeeze through the eye of the needle.

Lol I can't watch his constant anxieties about everything! He just gets on my nerves now. I think this is the first year I'm not too bothered about who wins or even watching it properly. I find I'm on my phone or not pausing it when I have to make tea etc.
I don't think Rahul is pleasant easy watching which to me was what bake off was always about, it was a de stresser after work but not now!

RhubarbCrumble

Any predictions for tonight guys? I think Kim Joy might go.

jasonb

I was thinking Kim Joy too, due to her wobble under pressure last week. That said, Rahul crumbled as well, but survived (let's not start that discussion again!). Really, at this stage, it could come down to whomever has a bad day...

Tar.Aldarion

I'll guess Briony!

Addle

I think Briony too. Kim Joys decor will cover up for any mistake she makes.

Sunny Dayz

It could be between Rahul and Briony to go home tonight. Rahul is generally pretty good but had a really bad week last week and another poor week cannot be justified. Briony on the other hand, is good, but may not be "good enough" compared to the rest. She's a little sweetheart though!

cruizer101

Its Patisserie week so I think given Kim Joys skill at fine decoration she will do well.
The will be lot of pressure on Rahul after lasts weeks disaster will he be able to handle it or let it get to him.
But to be fair anyone could go, there are all good bakers and a lot of it will come down to how the perform on the day, its a little bit down to luck on the day really.
Looking forward to it anyway.

I think Rahul could leave. Also I think the weather was getting very hot when this was recorded, so there could be a few disasters.