I love Noel, but for a 90s kid like me, duh. I like Prue and her outfits too. And miss Mary. Paul has always been the toxic one, imo.

And I never noticed the two day outfits thing until my wife pointed it out. You're not alone on that one.

Hi,

The impression I get, this show is taped on weekends. During the week, the contestants return home.

They know what is expected for the initial bake and show stopper, so they practice those bakes. An earlier season, I think it was Ruby (or Martha) who had other obligations and did not practice as much as they thought they should. They winged it more than most other contestants would consider prudent.

I guess they must launder between Saturday and Sunday, because they'd be a mess beginning the show stopper on Sunday.

Regards,
Cathy2

Cathy2 wrote:I guess they must launder between Saturday and Sunday, because they'd be a mess beginning the show stopper on Sunday.

You'd think, right? But I did a little digging and this article seems to indicate otherwise . . .

The Great British Bake Off is usually filmed over the course of two days per episode.

Because of this, producers are very strict on having contestants wear the exact same clothes to avoid any mishaps with continuity.

So even if the bakers get a little hot under the collar on day one, they still have to wear the same clothes on the second day.

Former winner Frances Quinn told Cosmopolitan: "Luckily they change the aprons so we don't look like a Jackson Pollock painting by the end of it."

=R=

I've loved Noel Fielding since The IT Crowd, and I think he adds a warm, funny, positive element to the latest version of the show.

But I do think TGBBS has gotten more mean-spirited, like so many US competition shows (cooking and other). I blame this choice of dynamics on the producers (which is also to say, the switch from the BBC to ITV), rather than the presenters, but it seems especially a downgrade to me in the case of TGBBS, which used to be a much more pleasant and peaceful respite from the world outside.

Katie wrote:But I do think TGBBS has gotten more mean-spirited, like so many US competition shows (cooking and other). I blame this choice of dynamics on the producers (which is also to say, the switch from the BBC to ITV), rather than the presenters, but it seems especially a downgrade to me in the case of TGBBS, which used to be a much more pleasant and peaceful respite from the world outside.

I feel the opposite, that it's a delight to watch the contestants help each other and cheer each other on. If there's a meanness, it's in the technical challenges.

I don't watch a lot of other contest shows (we stopped watching the Tim Gunn-less Project Runway, we still watch Top Chef when we remember). Top Chef actually has improved its game, it's less cutthroat, petty, feudish and fully of personal drama (or more likely it's no longer edited to highlight those aspects).

I miss Mel and Sue -- they were sillier than Noel and Prue are. It seems the humor is mostly limited to costuming in the intro.

Joel, I agree with you, the meanness is not among the contestants but with the technical challenges they're being given, and I'd also say, some of the criticisms from the judges and some choices that seem odd to me about who gets eliminated.

Taking into consideration the context of judges' comments, I can only think of two instances in seven seasons where I thought the wrong person was eliminated. One of them really irritated me but happily, the person who skated did not go on to win. The other instance (a different season) took place much later in the competition and it seemed to be a closer call, so I didn't find it as irritating.

I don't see anything innately mean in assigning the contestants increasingly difficult technical challenges but doing so does make the viewing less enjoyable for me because watching several people fail at making something isn't a particularly enjoyable experience. After all, this isn't Nailed It, which I watched once before tiring of it.

However, watching the contestants accomplish something difficult is more rewarding than watching them accomplish something easy, so I understand it's a tough line to straddle. The private banter between the judges as they jokingly delight in the Technical's degree of difficulty feels benign to me, especially in light of how the judges interact with the contestants. It never seems personal and they're plenty kind. On top of that, pretty regularly one of the judges admits to not ever having heard of the item assigned in the Technical, which indicates that there's no shame in the contestants not knowing, either. It just doesn't add up to meanness for me.

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Sandi Toksvig quits as Great British Bake Off co-host

Sandi Toksvig is to leave the hit Channel 4 series The Great British Bake Off. The 61-year-old broadcaster is exiting the show after three years to “focus on other work projects”, according to the channel. Toksvig – who joined Bake Off in 2017 alongside comic Noel Fielding – also presents the BBC quiz show QI, and previously hosted The News Quiz on Radio 4. She has also written novels and plays, founded the Women’s Equality Party in 2015, and will host a forthcoming series for Channel 4, The Write Offs, in which illiterate adults take part in a spelling bee.

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at theguardian.com, Hannah J Davies wrote:The comic and actor Matt Lucas will take over as a host of Channel 4’s Great British Bake Off alongside Noel Fielding. Sandi Toksvig stepped down in January after co-presenting the show for three years.

Lucas said in a statement: “I’m chuffed to bits to be joining the most delicious show on television. I can’t wait to break bread with Noel, Prue and Paul and meet the brilliant bakers. And bearing in mind my love of cake, I’ve already ordered some much larger trousers in anticipation. See you in the tent!”

Fielding said: “I love Matt. I love his warmth and his comedy and his big joyful smile. I think if we play our cards right we could become the next Chas and Morph.”

Paul Hollywood described Lucas as a “fantastic addition to the team”, while his fellow Bake Off judge Prue Leith said: “The combination of Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding! Will we stop laughing and get any filming done?”

Matt Lucas to co-host Great British Bake Off

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Former royal chef gives online lessons on how to make Queen's scones

Cathy2 wrote:Former royal chef gives online lessons on how to make Queen's scones

Got all excited when I saw this and then...he makes them but doesn't give any measurements or even rough approximations. Doesn't even describe his ingredients in the least (or whether, say, you could consider substitutions. Such as cream for milk, since he is using "milk.")

Otherwise, mildly interesting; I found a recipe for scones many years ago--after spending at least a decade or more looking for one that I liked--and I've used it ever since. It's for simple, straightforward "cream scones" and it has been a reliable standby for me now for a long, long time. It's from a place called Stephanie Inn in Oregon. The recipe I link to here is the same as what I found many years ago, except for one thing. The one I link to here includes 1/3 cup butter; my version (which I got from the Inn's own website--which no longer includes it) did not include the butter. I've never used it and never missed it. The cream (if you use heavy cream) is more than rich enough, imho.

I make amends with a link to a recipe for the Queen's scones served at garden parties.

Regards,
Cathy2

No amends needed, of course. Interesting recipe. I wonder what "plain flour" means and it's interesting that they use both "Butter Milk" and butter as well in lieu of cream. The recipe otherwise looks pretty straightforward and very similar to what I had understood were always called "cream scones."

P.S. Ahem. A quick check confirms the suspicion: plain flour is the UK equivalent of all-purpose. Still, I wonder whether in England that means a high protein AP flour or otherwise.

Hi,

They refer to bread flour as 'strong flour,' if that helps!

Regards,
Cathy2