Marco never showed Linda how to work the pass or dress the plates. Daniel spent all her time there and Niomi was there quite often and Ade also worked the pass. His team had a real advantage. Apart from Anthea (who was pushed into the background by Ade) Bruce or Linda had never done it sho it took them much longer to present food.
Also Linda had never been given a chance on anything other than crab. She choose wisley with Anthea and Bruce and worked very hard herself and for once the good guy won.

Ade's blowing his own trumpet would have been too much


Wel don Linda

I am so glad Ade didn't win, he seems very self orientated and opinionated.
Well done Linda.

In spite of the fact that Marco never gave Linda the opportunity of working the pass, she still overcame the odds and took the winner's crown.

She was relegated to the back of the kitchen for the duration of the show but never complained or whinged about it.

Danielle was put on crab to begin with but complained to Marco she didn't like to be at the back as she felt 'out of it' so Marco immediately put her on the pass with him and poor Linda got the short straw.

That's one of the things I haven't liked this series - once they were given the tasks if they didn't moan then they were not moved around for the entire series. Each of the contestants should have had a chance to be up at the pass with Marco just as each of them should have had the chance to do meat, fish, starters, fennel etc etc.

Exactly. You're spot on. That's the only complaint I've had with Marco this year, everyone should have had a go doing everything - it's only fair.

That's also my main beef (excuse the pun) with this series, they should have been assigned a station worked it for 2 days then moved on so everyone had a go at meat, the pass etc. Anthea was on BBC tv this morning and says she only learned how to cook asparagus and fennel.

I think this was one of the reasons Bruce quit (could be wrong there) but the fact that he was very competent and never assigned the pass, just doing the same old same old every day.

I really liked Ade and think his moaning is just his sense of humour, would have been happy for Linda, Ade or Bruce to win.

I agree with you both.

Poor Linda was probably sick of the sight of crab by the end of the fortnight and Bruce was probably fed up to the back teeth of doing mashed potatoes.

Even Anthea Turner on BBC Breakfast this morning said she only really learned how to cook fennel.

The show seems to be more focused on Marco than anything else plus Claudia interviewing the celebrity diners which hasn't been done in previous shows.