Twitter Is Done With GBBO Judges' Abnormally Harsh Critiques
Loyal and longtime viewers of "The Great British Baking Show" may have noticed the show's evolution since its early days when it was still on the BBC with Mary Berry as judge and hosted by Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins. It gained popularity for many reasons, mostly for what it doesn't have – sob stories of overcoming hardships or manipulated crying, cutthroat competition, or foul-mouthed, bad-tempered judges. It was a delightful change of pace from your episodes of "Masterchef" or "Top Chef" (via Quora).
However, many fans have felt that the show has lost its way. Later seasons have seen challenge difficulties increase while timings decrease, and technical challenges stray from bakes that show off technical skill to trying to recreate bakes most contestants had never heard of (via The Guardian). "In the very early years, the challenges were less challenging, but as the bakers have got better, the challenges have got harder," judge Prue Leith explained to the Mirror. It seems that with the difficulty increasing, viewers have noticed a change in the critiquing, too.
Fans feel that the show has lost its way
In episode eight of the most recent season, "Pastry Week", the five remaining bakers on "The Great British Baking Show" were tasked with making vol-au-vents, a deep-fried savory snack, and a scene from a storybook made out of pies both savory and sweet. Being that this week is the last step before the semi-finals, the pressure was on, and it was evident in what the bakers produced, which led to what some felt were overly harsh critiques from judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith.
Writing for The Guardian, journalist and TV critic Scott Bryan said, "The criticisms of the pies being disappointing for the quarter-finals just feels so harsh. Where has the supportive feeling gone from this show this year? Remember, this isn't 'MasterChef.'" "GBBO" fans on Twitter agreed, with one fan tweeting, "Tonight was painful to watch and not the bakers [sic] fault at all. I really feel for them." Another fan posted, "It was just negatives all the way from Paul." Meanwhile, another user wrote, "Have the judges ever thought about giving them realistic times to do things rather than complaining every year their bakes needed more time?"
Hopefully, the show's producers and the judges will hear what the fans are saying and return the show to its wholesome, low-pressure stakes when the biggest scandal was Bingate.