The Great British Bake Off - Um, What?

[IndyRob]

Okay, Sandy Toksvig I get,  But Noel Fielding?

 

Edit: Should add a link... http://www.eater.com/2017/3/17/14957440/great-british-bake-off-new-hosts-noel-fielding-sandi-toksvig

Edited March 19, 2017 by IndyRob (log)

[DianaB]

For those interested in Bake Off type programmes there are new series running at the moment in the UK and in France.  Both have professional chefs as contestants and as judges.  All episodes of the UK version are available via the BBC website http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b08ln7y7?suggid=b08ln7y7  or their app.  The French series only started last week but that episode is available via the M6 website http://www.6play.fr/le-meilleur-patissier-les-professionnels-p_6762 or app.

 

If you are not in the country that produced the programme you will need to be running an appropriate VPN to watch through the BBC or M6 but as I write YouTube has complete episodes of the BBC version (search Bake Off Creme de la Creme) and the M6 entire first episode (search M6 Meilleur Patissier 2017).  The latter is of course in French but the baking is wonderful.  Judges in France are Cyril Lignac, Pierre Hermé, Philippe Conticini and Frederic Bau.  There were a lot of complaints about the BBC's first series of Creme de la Creme because people found the judges too harsh.  Certainly the dynamic is not that created by Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood for the home cook version but the contestants are professional chefs and there seems to be a trend towards negativity across many BBC programmes at the minute.  Perhaps they are trying to be 'edgy'.  The judges have perhaps toned down their criticism a little for this year but Angus Deayton is now the Presenter and his cynicism can be tedious.