The Great British Bake Off - Series 5 - Starts 6th August 2014

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  • brotonsbabybrotonsbaby Posts: 835
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    Undefined wrote: »
    Sue Perkins posted on Twitter that Iain's Alaska had only been out of the freezer for 40 seconds.

    I've been thinking about this. I don't disbelieve Sue at all but when he turned it out, there was a solid ice cream lump in the middle with runny custard round the outside. That's how ice cream melts. However, from my experience of ice cream making ( and I have quite a bit ), ice cream freezes from the outside into the middle. For the middle to be frozen into a lump, all of the ice cream must have been set at some point. It therefore appears to me that either the ice cream was out longer or it had been put somewhere very warm (I believe someone intimated on top of Diana's or Nancy's oven?).
    I think Iain may have stayed this week but would have gone either next week or the week after, so not much damage done, and he should have presented what he had and explained what happened, rather than having a hissy fit, but I rather think that he was more angry with the fact that someone had done this than just that his ice cream had melted.
    I also think that Diana should have apologized and said something to the judges rather than keeping quiet, however long the stuff had been out.
    Editing is however an invidious tool and much can be created or hidden by it's use. We may never know the truth...
  • chestfieldchestfield Posts: 3,441
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    I've been thinking about this. I don't disbelieve Sue at all but when he turned it out, there was a solid ice cream lump in the middle with runny custard round the outside. That's how ice cream melts. However, from my experience of ice cream making ( and I have quite a bit ), ice cream freezes from the outside into the middle. For the middle to be frozen into a lump, all of the ice cream must have been set at some point. It therefore appears to me that either the ice cream was out longer or it had been put somewhere very warm (I believe someone intimated on top of Diana's or Nancy's oven?).
    I think Iain may have stayed this week but would have gone either next week or the week after, so not much damage done, and he should have presented what he had and explained what happened, rather than having a hissy fit, but I rather think that he was more angry with the fact that someone had done this than just that his ice cream had melted.
    I also think that Diana should have apologized and said something to the judges rather than keeping quiet, however long the stuff had been out.
    Editing is however an invidious tool and much can be created or hidden by its use. We may never know the truth...

    I realise it's OT to mention another programme, but this editing issue has cropped up more than once in Sarah Beeny's show, when "competitors" came in here specifically to point out that the situation as shown was nothing like what really happened.

    Should Martha have broken ranks by going on Twitter? I thought all these people were under some sort of social media embargo to stay schtum.
  • brotonsbabybrotonsbaby Posts: 835
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  • CressidaCressida Posts: 3,218
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    Iain reacted but until it's know that Diana did apologise and it's confirmed the freezer was in fact 'hers' she and, Nancy by association, remain in the wrong. Maybe, although not probably, we'll find out of Friday.
  • domedome Posts: 55,878
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    Cruel editing IMO.

    Diane certainly doesn't deserve the abuse she is suffering at the moment.

    Why on earth are they not provided with blast freezers beggars belief. I know they want to show bakes that are capable of being recreated at home, but how many viewers bake in a tent?
  • shandersshanders Posts: 5,907
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    Poor Diana. She sounds really upset to be caught up in this social media storm. Iain is supporting her. Sounds to me that the Bake Off editors have a lot to answer for taking things totally out of context. That shot of Mary saying 'that is totally unacceptable' intercut with Diana pulling faces in a shocked 'reaction' were from totally different parts of the day. Mary said that in the small tent where they were all discussing who should be star baker and who should go. I thought the BBC were supposed to be fair after all the flak they took for 'Queengate'?
  • StarpussStarpuss Posts: 12,845
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    I agree it is looking as if the BBC were creative with their editing. Absolutely unacceptable. This isn't Big Brother or the Essex type shows (thank heaven) it is a gentle baking show. For the BBC to edit in such a way is awful.

    While Diana did act in a less than honourable way it could have been better edited. If this is the BBC 1 way I am not impressed.
  • shandersshanders Posts: 5,907
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    What if, God forbid, Diana were to have a heart attack brought on by all the stress of this?
  • 21stCenturyBoy21stCenturyBoy Posts: 44,493
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    shanders wrote: »
    What if, God forbid, Diana were to have a heart attack brought on by all the stress of this?

    Is this post some kind of parody?

    As if people in this thread calling her a "nasty bitch " isn't enough, we now have people speculating about potential heart attack. Sheesh.
  • BeethovensPianoBeethovensPiano Posts: 11,689
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    Ratings:

    8.1 million average throughout the show, with a peak of 8.6 million.
  • innitrichieinnitrichie Posts: 9,795
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    All of those upset about this fiasco should write a complaint to the regulator OFGEM immediately and have them launch a full investigation. I've just finished a three page letter outlining my thoughts on the debacle, and posted it to them registered post, and I urge others to do the same (if you really care, otherwise well whatever carry on complaining here and nothing will get done). The more of us who complain the more likely for those culpable for this mess to pay the price.
  • ricardoyluciaricardoylucia Posts: 911
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    Whatever the truth is about Diana, this story will run a little longer...

    It is all to do with ratings by the BBC...
  • DICKENS99DICKENS99 Posts: 2,619
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    Ratings:

    8.1 million average throughout the show, with a peak of 8.6 million.

    Good grief, once the final figures come in it could be over 10 million - and considering how ratings rise throughout the series 10 million + must be a certainty at some point.

    With this sort of popularity expect to see this year's winner on next year's Strictly.
  • roverboy1965roverboy1965 Posts: 1,679
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    shanders wrote: »
    What if, God forbid, Diana were to have a heart attack brought on by all the stress of this?

    OFGS, pointless what ifs !!!!!!!

    What if she slipped on his melted ice-cream.

    What if the freezer fell on her removing his ice-cream from the freezer.

    What if she got frostbite removing his ice-cream from the freezer.
  • TakaeTakae Posts: 13,555
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    Mr_Eye wrote: »
    Nothing like a bit of abuse of an old lady to make people feel good about themselves :)
    shanders wrote: »
    What if, God forbid, Diana were to have a heart attack brought on by all the stress of this?

    You both clearly don't know what it's like to be a member of the W.I. A lot of intense competitiveness and backstabbing going on in that world. I'm willing to bet that as a result of being a W.I. member for 30-odd years, Diana's skin is tough enough to withstand a hail of bullets. :D

    Seriously though, I agree this torrent of angry reactions is a bit much, but such is life with TV entertainment. There's always a risk of being criticised for doing something you don't remember doing until it's on TV.
  • Mr_EyeMr_Eye Posts: 1,495
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    aurichie wrote: »
    All of those upset about this fiasco should write a complaint to the regulator OFGEM immediately and have them launch a full investigation. I've just finished a three page letter outlining my thoughts on the debacle, and posted it to them registered post, and I urge others to do the same (if you really care, otherwise well whatever carry on complaining here and nothing will get done). The more of us who complain the more likely for those culpable for this mess to pay the price.

    I hope you haven't sent it to OFGEM.
  • Welsh-ladWelsh-lad Posts: 51,908
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    Diana is naturally quite brusque and the editors made sure to include her dismissive comment.

    Iain's ice-cream was buggered anyway because it had only been out of the freezer for under a minute... something again the editors didn't make clear.

    Had he tried to salvage the situation and not thrown a mardy it would have been ok.
    The ice-cream was one component of the three that constituted the alaska, and the alaska was itself only one component of the three dishes prepared over the three days.
    He could easily have stayed even with a gloopy ice-cream.
  • TassiumTassium Posts: 31,639
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    I used to watch this show a few years back until I realised the contestants filmed reactions are taken out of context in order to create a narrative.

    I felt I was being manipulated for ratings. In other words, it's fake. As fake as any "reality" show.


    The competition is real of course, but that's not really the attraction of the show is it?
  • TakaeTakae Posts: 13,555
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    CABINET wrote: »
    As someone else pointed out BAKED Alaska is supposed to be cooked in the oven. That's the whole point of the revolting pudding - the "miracle" of cold ice cream covered in hot meringue!

    You can use a blowtorch to glaze the meringue without putting it in the oven at all.
    Tassium wrote: »
    The competition is real of course, but that's not really the attraction of the show is it?

    Yes. Bread. And cakes. Breads and cakes are the main attraction of the GBBO. Lovely candidates are a bonus.
  • Janet43Janet43 Posts: 8,008
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    Frances Quinn, last years winner, has an article in this week's Radio Times saying that it's absolute chaos in the tent and the situation with the fridge space is like being in a student house. The floor's like a bouncy castle because there are so many camera men running round, and people are constantly talking to the contestants. So at least one person would have been aware if things happened as they were portrayed in the edit.

    I believe Sue, Paul, Iain and Diana over what we think we saw in the broadcast edited version, and I think the BBC will be inundated with complaints over the way they decided to portray Diana as a villain.

    The trailer was sufficient to convince us all that they edit for sensation, in that what Mary said was actually in the privacy of the judging tent and not, as appeared, in the main tent in the presence of the bakers.
  • Welsh-ladWelsh-lad Posts: 51,908
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    aurichie wrote: »
    All of those upset about this fiasco should write a complaint to the regulator OFGEM immediately and have them launch a full investigation. I've just finished a three page letter outlining my thoughts on the debacle, and posted it to them registered post, and I urge others to do the same (if you really care, otherwise well whatever carry on complaining here and nothing will get done). The more of us who complain the more likely for those culpable for this mess to pay the price.

    Yeah the surge needed to freeze all that ice-cream nearly drained the Grid that day.
    I believe there was a black-out at Newbury down the road.
  • ThrasymachusThrasymachus Posts: 2,496
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    Ratings:

    8.1 million average throughout the show, with a peak of 8.6 million.

    Blimey. This show goes from strength to strength
  • mossy2103mossy2103 Posts: 84,307
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    aurichie wrote: »
    All of those upset about this fiasco should write a complaint to the regulator OFGEM immediately and have them launch a full investigation. I've just finished a three page letter outlining my thoughts on the debacle, and posted it to them registered post, and I urge others to do the same (if you really care, otherwise well whatever carry on complaining here and nothing will get done). The more of us who complain the more likely for those culpable for this mess to pay the price.

    Sorry, but unless that is a tongue-in-cheek post, that is one hell of an over-reaction in my view.

    And after all, it's only a TV programme.


    BTW, OFGEM is the energy regulator
  • memmhmemmh Posts: 14,381
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    My thoughts on last night's blunder:

    » We only saw what the editors wanted us to see and not necessarily everything that happened - as witnessed by the fact that Diana has been portrayed as the villain when both she and Nancy were responsible, presumably because the producers thought Diana gave the better - and more controversial - soundbite by saying that "Iain shouldn't have used the wrong freezer."

    » If Iain used Nancy's allocated freezer space instead of his own, why didn't she just use his space instead?

    » The ice cream may only have been out of the freezer for under a minute, as per Sue's tweet, but that doesn't mean Nancy and Diana couldn't have been courteous and told Iain they were taking the ice cream out - although, it's possible they did tell him and he just didn't register but we weren't shown that for the sake of stirring up controversy and interest. (I'm not sure I like the move to BBC1 if that's what actually happened!)

    » If the contestants are going to be set a challenge involving freezing ice cream in a very short period of time, why didn't the producers make sure the proper equipment was available, ie, enough freezer space for everyone and, ideally, blast freezers? Additional, specialist equipment (like Nancy's guillotine) is for the contestants to provide, but the basics should be provided by the production team. At the very least, they could have brought back the fridge/freezers that were taken out to make more space now that a number of contestants have been eliminiated and their work spaces removed.

    » I understand that Iain was stressed and upset and not thinking clearly, but he should still have served something - even if he'd served the ice cream as more of a sauce on the side! He could have easily said that his ice cream had been taken out the freezer (without blaming anyone specific, if he wanted to be a gentleman about it) and that's why the ice cream couldn't be used inside the baked Alaska. Paul and Mary were understanding over the custard mix-up last series, so I'm sure they would have been understanding over this, knowing it wasn't actually Iain's fault. By the same token, Nancy and Diana should have spoken up and said something - although, to be fair, we don't know that they didn't and we just weren't shown it.

    » Under the circumstances, Iain should perhaps have been given a bye and a there could have been a double elimination next week, however, it's too late now, given that the series is filmed in its entirety before the first episode even airs.

    » Finally, An Extra Slice will probably be quite interesting this week as, given the amount of outrage on Twitter and elsewhere, they're going to have to address this. It'll be especially interesting if they show footage of Nancy and Diana (a) telling Iain they were taking his ice cream out the freezer and (b) telling Paul and Mary they were responsible for Iain's ice cream melting.
  • looby383xlooby383x Posts: 3,010
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    Welsh-lad wrote: »
    Diana is naturally quite brusque and the editors made sure to include her dismissive comment.

    Iain's ice-cream was buggered anyway because it had only been out of the freezer for under a minute... something again the editors didn't make clear.

    Had he tried to salvage the situation and not thrown a mardy it would have been ok.
    The ice-cream was one component of the three that constituted the alaska, and the alaska was itself only one component of the three dishes prepared over the three days.
    He could easily have stayed even with a gloopy ice-cream.
    For me, this is the key. I believe if he had displayed anything at all, he would have stayed ( due to a combination of doing OK in the other rounds, his baked Alaska sponge being OK and a bit of sympathy from the judges due too the situation possibly not being of his making). That's why I think Iain caused his own demise, irrespective of anything Diana did or didn't do.

    Extra Slice will be interesting, however I also think they will downplay the incident because I think they edited to create some drama and didn't realise that a 69 year old lady would be getting the kind of abuse that she is and they will not want to stoke any fires.
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