Who's watching Bake Off?

Well I quite liked Briony (yes I know she wasn't in the final), but without tasting the offerings I couldn't say who should have won. I loved the series though, the presenters were great but the final was an anticlimax.

I'm afraid despite liking Rahul in the beginning the perpetual look of terror had worn thin by the final !

I also thought he should have gone home a couple of weeks ago when his baking was inedible but the correct thing and Manan's was the incorrect thing but well baked- but that's just my opinion.

Id have liked Ruby to win.

I simply cannot understand why you all seem to think that Kim Joy should have won
No, not all of us - I said I wouldn't have been able to pick, simply because her other offerings were better.

I simply cannot understand why you all seem to think that Kim Joy should have won! Her showstopper was awful. It looked bad and tasted all the same. She used some pretty odd flavour combinations throughout.
I would never have thought that she could win. Rahul's the one!

I agree Jalima. The tasks are becoming extreme and beyond the bounds of most bakers. The open fire one was more like a Bear Grylls one and rather silly imo. I do hope whoever thinks up these outlandish tasks reins it in a bit. I think Kim Joy should have won it but overall the series was enjoyable, and the presenters, judges and contestants a good bunch. Well done Channel4. I think they managed the transition from the BBC very well. ( Apart from the annoying as breaks, but we watched the whole series on catch up.)

Definitely Jalima and yes I agree Anno.

but I did think the final was disappointing.
Not because of the result (I could not have chosen) but because of the tasks they were asked to do.

Rahul was always self=deprecating and diffident. I'm sure it wasn't a pose. He was consistently a good and innovative baker throughout the series though he nearly came to grief in the semi-final. Don't see how it could be construed as a PC fix since the other two finalists were mixed race - unless it would be PC to give the award to a young man.

Did Rahul always look so anxious and bewildered all the way through?
I only saw about 3 episodes.

I agree too Jalima. I've watched the entire series but was disappointed with the final, and not because Rahul won. I love the new line up though, and prefer these presenters to the Beeb ones.
As an aside, what exactly is the political correctness that gave Rahul his win Maw?

Grump on Jalima, you are justified . I agree with everything you said

I didn't mean my post to sound so grumpy
but I did think the final was disappointing.

I only watched a couple of episodes and then the final and thought that some of the challenges, particularly baking over an open fire outside on a day in the middle of the heatwave was ridiculous.

It's as if they are trying to think up more and more extreme challenges which are far removed from what I think Bake Off should be about.

I think Prue looks fabulous for her age and is full of fun and so much more personable than posh Mary was
Prue is fun, looks great but she is in fact much posher than Mary is!

As for the jar shattering - I have known that happen with a thick tumbler which was sitting on my desk. It exploded with a loud bang, shattering into tiny pieces and startled everyone in our office - we didn't know if it was from heat (no heat source nearby) or vibration from traffic outside.

I couldn't help comparing the three showstoppers with the lovely creations made in the Wedding Cake challenge on BBC.

I've really enjoyed this series. The competitors seemed to be having such a good time and seemed to really support each other. I didn't mind which of the final three won and I wouldn't have wanted to pick a winner myself. No doubt being able to taste the cakes would have helped.

Kim Joy should have won without a doubt. I haven't enjoyed some of the difficult challenges they were set. I didn't think I'd like the new presenters but I do, very much.

At the end of the day, they have to give the prize to the best baker. I only dipped in and out of the series, so don't know how Rahul performed overall, but on last night's episode, he seemed to perform the best.
If they started awarding the winner's prize to the one who would make the best TV presenter that would be totally unfair!

Last year's winner disappeared without trace. They don't all go on to TV careers. Nadia was an exception.
I enjoyed this series. The judges and presenters are all good.
I do think Rahul was a worthy winner this week but I had thought he'd be out a few weeks ago. But as stated by a previous poster, we can't actually taste the cakes and the judges can.
Oh well. Here's to next year's Bake Off!

I thought I would miss Mary, but I haven't. I agree about Rahul. Can you see him presenting his own cooking program?
I hope Kim-Joy and Ruby get something good out of this. I shall watch Extra Bake to see how,Rahul in particular, handles it all.

Not really watched this series. I miss Mary.

I really wanted Ruby to win for her cheerful stoicism ,or Kim Joy.But on reflection the one thing as viewers we can't do is taste the bakes,and both Prue and Paul said Rahuls showstopper flavours and textures were the best.And after all that's what cake is all about.More than once I've been tempted when only intending to buy a coffee by a lovely looking piece of cake -only to find it 'wasn't worth the calories ' as Prue says.
I really like her as a judge,more so than Mary and whilst Paul has seemed very harsh this series I also like Noel and Sandi as co presenters.

I thought it should have been either Ruby or Kim Joy. Rahul reminds me of a petulant child and I dont think he will handle winning very easily whereas one of the girls would have been brilliant especially if they had ended up hosting their own prog like Nardia, somehow can't see Rahul in the same light.

Very disappointed in the final episode, and the eventual winner. A bit of growling here last night. Our local radio station is having a bit of a poll this morning, so far Rahul would not have won.

I ve only popped in and out so dont really have the right to an opinion but from the bits I saw Kimjoy was way out ahead, Rahul depressed the hell out of me and I presume played on it to the hilt The creations were all so unrealistic and as far away from baking as you could get that they reminded me of drag queens hats
I still think Noel is the most drippy uninspiring unnecessary presenter I think Prue looks fabulous for her age and is full of fun and so much more personable than posh Mary was
Now tell me to get lost

I agree pensionpat

Mind you, I suppose "Let's see who can make the best Victoria Sandwich" as a challenge wouldn't be very exciting. There didn't seem to be any happy medium though and has there been much more emphasis on decoration this series because to my mind, only Kim Joy makes things look lovely on a regular basis.

Some of the decoration of cakes and the weird and strange things they've had to make has been ghastly. I have seen exhausted Mum's produce better decoration on their kiddies' birthday cakes.

The Paris cake shop window task was a travesty - says she who can spend hours gazing upon the delight's in the windows of bakers shops in France. They are a work of art. The majority of BO contestants can only dream of such finishing touches.

I think that many of the challenges were too challenging. Often the contestants didn’t do that well, and the judges had to cover it up with remarks about the flavour. Still enjoyed it though.