The Great British Baking Show

I’m not sure what season

Okay so this is a quick 180 from my usual horror topics, but I needed a break from the gore, so here we are. I’m not sure what season I’m watching exactly, but according to Josh Booth, the knower of all things, it is the best one. And he’s a credible source so there you go.

I just looked it up and I am watching season 5, and let me tell you I love this show. I will also mention that I am a terrible cook and baker. More often than not when I’m in a kitchen I burn myself or what I’m making or both. I’m a hazard. So I watch this show because the contestants are hilarious.

Now season five began with twelve contestants, and we only really care about six of them, but I wanted to start by mentioning the twelve contestants for one reason. That reason being that the first person eliminated was named Claire and I thought that was funny because I also suck at baking. She was infinitely more talented than me of course, but she was still eliminated first.

Now for the six people we care about. First we have Norman. Norman is honestly just the worst ever. He doesn’t challenge himself. He just does super simple easy bakes compared to everyone else, but he does them poorly. I don’t understand why he was kept for so long. (spoiler he is eliminated. Sorry if you watch the show and like him, but also this is season aired forever ago so that’s your fault.) He’s also so annoying and makes me want to gouge my eyes out every time he speaks.

Next we have Richard, who doesn’t suck. He can be pretty cool at times, but I do not like how much the judges like him. He did really well one week and then they just swooned for the rest of the time. I don’t get it. He’s not that good. Chetna is way better.

Speaking of Chetna, she is super cool. She’s the only one who doesn’t have an English accent and her hair is fantastic. She’s also super talented and not at all annoying. She’s my second favorite person on the show.

My first favorite person though is Martha. Martha is 17 and a way better baker than I will ever be. She is the youngest person to compete on the show, but she keeps winning the technical rounds even when she hasn’t baked the thing before, and I think that shows insane talent. Especially since she’s the youngest. She’s also not at all annoying and is totally underrated by the judges. Tragically she doesn’t win though.

Next we have Louis who I don’t have much to say about. He is also underrated by the judges, but so is pretty much everyone because they fawn over Richard who literally doesn’t deserve it. But I don’t have much else to say about him.

Finally we have Nancy. Now Nancy is not my favorite, but she is very talented and is probably the best baker there. She therefore does not need my support because she is just that awesome.

Each episode consists of three rounds. In the first, they make a specialty bake. They all get to choose what the bake within that weeks theme and it is something they are allowed to practice for a whole week, so it should be pretty good. Next they have to do a technical, which is something they don’t get to practice. The judges give them a recipe that is very minimal for something they most likely have never baked before and they are told to bake it. It is to test their knowledge of baking, which I think is super cool. Last they have a showstopper, which is a big bake of something they had the chance to practice. After these three rounds someone is eliminated.

The reason I watch this show is because they don’t have real problems. In the last episode I watched they were all stressed about making European cakes. That’s not a problem! I get that they don’t want to be kicked off the show, but making a bad cake is not going to cause the world to end. And they are all exceptional bakers, so their “bad” cakes would probably be delicious anyway.

It is so refreshing to watch them get so stressed about something that has close to zero impact on anything important in their lives. Norman once got so very upset over fridge space. I mean what? Who are these people? Who does that? It’s quite fascinating honestly.

I’m over here all stressed about school, and Chetna, love her to death, is over there stressed about whether or not she is pouring milk too fast. Isn’t that crazy? I wish my only concern was how fast I was pouring milk.