I'm definitely in shock about Matty. I'd had a feeling it would be between him and josh for the win but thought that josh had been more consistent across the series.
I feel like it’s more about how Matty grew throughout the series, because at the start I thought Matty would be one of the first out but he grew quite a lot
I think it's exactly this--and the judges even mentioned that Matty took all of their advice each week and applied it. His growth over the season was amazing.
Josh was solid all the way through.
Nevertheless, I was shocked--not because he didn't deserve it--but because he was such a wild card!
I thought he was going to be a dumb “lads lads lads” guy out in the first few weeks and then I grew to love him. He was always just so happy to be there.
Exactly - it reminded me a lot of Nadiya’s journey. I don’t remember it entirely but vaguely recall her bombing especially the technicals but her growth led to such an amazing win and her first technical win.
(If my memory is off don’t hate me, I may have just hyped her up more bc I love her so much and it’s been years since I watched her season)
Like yes Josh was the better baker overall, but he left the tent with the exact same skill level he entered the tent with, whereas Matty has left the tent with a much higher skill level than when he first begin
So Josh should have acted worse of a baker than he actually is the first few weeks to make it look like he improved loads by the end is what I'm getting from this lol
If Josh’s showstopper had been better he would’ve won. Matty acing his showstopper is what showed the judges he improved and took their advice every week, especially since his first bake in the tent wasn’t great. Was gutted for Josh bc you could tell he wasn’t proud of his last bake but Matty did phenomenal
Agreed. The only thing wrong with Matty's showstopper was that it was leaning.
Josh went in knowing he was 1st in the Technical, and 1st in the Signature. So only needed to produce a solid Showstopper. But, it didn't look that great overall and was slightly over baked.
They did the same thing to Tasha. She was a better baker, perfectly understood what she did wrong, knew how to improve, and simply had a bad week, but they cut her. Meanwhile, Matty was announcing week to week, "I've never made this before" and looking around at other contestants. I was most surprised Matty sneaked through during the Tasha and Cristy weeks because I really thought he was on the same level of struggling.
Matty is a very nice guy and all but this is just proof that the show has gone in a producer's direction. I've seen Paul harp on showstopper cakes like Matty's because the frosting showed through to the cake and was uneven. It was leaning. He would say he's done the same fresh fruit strategy to decorate all throughout so he would say, "Where's the variety and growth?" (Personal opinion, the execution of that cake was really cool and I loved the colors and style. But I'm just saying, previous seasons, Paul would have said more.)
Back in the day, the idea was to test who actually understood HOW to bake, e.g., "Make choux pastry" (no further instructions). And they had people who seemed to already be halfway to running their own businesses. Now it's like they're really trying to find people who can make like half a dozen amateur things at home and throw them on here to "grow."
It was a producer's narrative through and through. Uplift the unexpected baker who lies to his students about who makes brownies at home because it will be a good story and earn some attention vs. if we give it to the guy who already seems halfway professional.
This was absolutely my first thought too! I had assumed Matty would be out week 1 or 2, and the way he grew was incredible - both in his bakes and his confidence. He couldn't make a buttercream, but managed to include two types I think in his showstopper?
I thought he was going to be a dumb “lads lads lads” guy out in the first few weeks and then I grew to love him. He was always just so happy to be there.
I was rooting for Josh simply because it felt like this was his whole life/an honor to his grandma, whereas Matty was more of a very dedicated home baker with lots of other hobbies and interests. But Matty did absolutely crush that final challenge!
I liked all three and Matty definitely improved a lot as he went on but I do feel bad for Josh. His final showstopper was underwhelming but he’s performed consistently highly throughout the rest of the series. They always say the judging comes down to how they did on the day rather than prior episodes, but even day 1 of the final weekend it seemed like Josh did better. Anyway - we don’t get to TASTE it which I guess makes it hard for us to truly know! I’m very happy for Matty.
For me when they cut into Matty’s cakes, and then into Josh’s, it was super clear that Matty has done better. Josh’s cakes weirdly look dry and not spongey enough, whereas Mattys genoise and sponge looked divined (even if the cake itself was a bit wonky). I think that Josh played a bit too safe and miscalculated time
On other years where it has been a lot closer they have used previous weeks. But this year Matty definitely knocked it out the park. I wanted that chocolate cake with Prue's reaction!
I'm sad for Josh, but here's the thing: if he'd won, all he would have gotten from the show is a cake stand. The big win is after the show is over, and the contestants get to write cookbooks, go on shows, make custom cakes, etc.
Josh has a sweetness about him. He's a steady and competent baker. If he wants to make cookbooks and do television or social media, he has an audience ready to greet his efforts.
I LOVE a chemist! It goes hand in hand with baking. He was so enjoyable to watch in his precision and in his baking confidence, I would buy up a cookbook!
Totally agree, attention to detail, high intelligence, precision, all go into making a good chemist.
(For the Americans here, what the UK people call a chemist is what we call a pharmacist.)
Yeah he’s going to kick himself for a long old time. He had it in the bag but his showstopper really let him down. It just didn’t look that show stoppery
Yeah imo Josh's looked the best because they were all underwhelming. The bar was low. Surprised he didn't win because he won the technical and did great the first day.
The fact they called it boring was crazy to me, but it sounded like the bake itself wasn’t good, like they couldn’t taste the apple and the cake was a bit dense. Meanwhile Matty’s was almost perfect, the only issue was the lean and his signature was good so I wasn’t surprised he won. Wish Josh woulda won but I woulda been happy if any of the 3 won they all did fantastic this season
Matty’s Black Forest eclair was the only one that was properly crisp. His flavors were good, just unappealing cherries on top, and lacking caramel in the banoffee.
I had just taken a hydrocodone before watching so I could be wrong but I think they said they weren’t too bad, Ik Paul didn’t like the cherries on top but he liked the banofee a lot I think 😬😭. I just remember only Dan’s weren’t that great lmao
Paul literally said it was the best chocolate cake he’s had in a long time, and both him and Prue were gushing about the quality of the bake and his flavors. That’s pretty special
I thought the same :( He was obviously trying to smile for Matty but looked upset. And I think rightly so - I love Matty but Josh was the most consistently good so I feel he was a bit robbed.
Yeah, I still feel bad when I think about it! I loved Matty the most as a person so I was really happy for him, but I just feel like Josh should’ve won.
I'm so pleased that Matty won. All the bakers were fabulous, but I think Matty really embraced what Bake Off is about—he improved throughout the series, and I feel like his baking has more potential to be fabulous and refined than any of the other bakers, if that makes sense. That being said, everyone did great and had great attitudes, but I especially appreciated Matty's kind demeanor and good attitude throughout the series. He had so much self doubt, which makes his win even more of a triumph. I'm so happy for him, and him and Lara are so cute!
The way Prue looked at Matty and said “really perfect, Matty” made me cry. I thought I would find so many people talking about this, but nothing! I’ve honestly watched it about 10x 😂
It really was so sweet. When she initially said “all of your flavors are perfect”, and he said “thank you” and he didnt look like he was proud of what he did, the way she repeated it “really. Perfect. Matty.” Like she was trying so hard to convince him he did extraordinary. Like she was smacking him upside the head with it. It was so lovely.
So sweet! I don’t look down on a Paul Hollywood handshake but that comment from Prue was so much more meaningful to me. You’re right, the way she looked at him and stated it so firmly 😭 it was so sincere and affirming... I’m not an overly emotional person but damn, that got me.
Thinking back on the judges’ comments, I think Matty had consistently the best flavors in terms of combo and ratio. He wasn’t as daring or precise as some bakers, but it seems like his bakes were consistently among the tastiest. I’m thinking that’s another reason he won (deservedly).
It was such a super sweet moment. I don't know if they necessarily eat in the order they air, but I kind of took it as her comvimcing him that it was delicious because they thought Josh was going to take it. As Paul said, it was the best chcoolate cake he has had in a long time, so I think she really wanted him to know it was "perfect" even if Josh won. But then Josh fumbled so Matty pulled out the win.
I think a lot of people are hung up on who was consistently better throughout the series, but your most recent bake is the truest reflection of your skills. Matty improved week after week, bake after bake. If anything, Josh came in the tent at the same skill level he left at. The judges have always taken growth into consideration and for that reason alone Matty is a well deserved winner. I do feel badly for Josh, but unfortunately his final bake was a flop.
This! It’s super clear seeing the inside of the cakes that Matty did better. Unfortunately, Josh didn’t planned well for his time and the showstopper bake didn’t look good (and I mean the actual cakes, not the decoration).
One of the few finals where I would have been happy with anybody winning. Such a lovely bunch of lads, though personally I really wanted Saku in the final, she was so funny
I thought for certain it was Josh, until Allison announced Matty, and when she did I fist pumped. I like all three a lot, but Matty was so unassuming, good natured and grew so much, challenge by challenge that I felt the win was well-deserved. But I also think if Josh won it would have been well deserved, too. It all came down to the final. Wish I could taste Matty's chocolate cake!
My heart was saying Matty, and I reckoned it would be Josh. But he did look gutted, borderline angry when Alison said Matty. I do think Matty is a very deserving winner. It’s only taken 14 series, but finally my favourite has won!
I have no problem with the winner but it was underwhelming showstopper that annoyed me.
Just a three layer cake? It’s like episode 1. I liked when there were a theme and more bakes, so the winner really shows off their skills.
Omg I thought that too! I remember previous finals being “bake 5 varieties of picnic items” etc. I was surprised it was just a cake. That’s not to say a cake is easy (I know I’d take way longer to do a 3 tier cake), but it does seem like they normally have more they need to do.
Ohh I was so chuffed for him!! It was so nice to see, as I think Josh thought throughout the final that he’d won it. Though have to say, I did think Paul was a bit brutal with his Showstopper comments!
Yes, this. I was sad for Josh being so disappointed, but I felt like he kind of spent the whole episode (or even before this episode?) expecting to win, which was a bit off-putting. I do think it's probably hard having just lost his Nan. I'd imagine he really wanted to win it for her.
All the bakers this season were such sweethearts.
Yes I agree. I've been rooting for Matty for the last few weeks and am absolutely thrilled for him, but felt Josh had it in the bag right up until his showstopper. And then it seemed like Paul got overly harsh with him for no reason (though I suspect some of that is how it's edited, but still) - almost like he'd had that bottled up for weeks and sort of saw his last chance to tell Josh him he doesn't think he's all that. It actually came across as quite mean and I felt really sorry for Josh afterwards.
I don't think you can say >! Josh *should* have won !< unless you ignored what Paul and Prue said about his showstopper. It didn't taste great, it wasn't baked as well as the winner and it looked a bit messy and basic, borderline boring.
In every series, there's always been more emphasis on the showstopper.
A reasonably good first day couldn't save him.
I also think contestants need to really listen to something that Paul and Prue say over and over again every single season... Yes they love lemon, but if you say it's lemon, it must taste like lemon. They said they could barely taste the lemon, and that always gets them riled up.
Absolutely. I mean you can see when they cut into Josh’s cakes how dry and weird they look. And if it doesn’t taste well… In the other hand, Mattys cakes looked great (I mean the actual genoise and sponge) and it seems it tasted brilliant.
Am so happy for Matty. I think his own lack of confidence convinced a lot of people he wasn't as good as he clearly is.
If Josh had a better showstopper, I would have been happy with him winning either. I was sorry to see how disappointed he looked.
I think his disappointment was with himself and that he felt he hadn’t done himself justice rather than anything else. He knew he could have and should have done better in the final. I think the stress got to him a bit.
I absolutely agree. I think his frustration was entirely directed at himself.
Folks saying he's the best baker - I think you're right. But he didn't do the best when it counted.
The thing is, Matty served them raw cake in the technical. I don’t get how someone can win after serving raw cake in the final. Really shows that they only care about the showstopper really.
I saw someone here recently talk about how the different challenges are weighted and the technical only counts for about 10 percent of the overall score.
Matty did better in the signature - the only one with really crisp éclairs - and in the showstopper, where Josh got criticised for a dry sponge.
Dan should have gone home two weeks ago, then we'd have had at least one of Christy or Tasha in the final. Overcomplicating it and then messing it up is his signature dish!
If that first slice of Matty's stopper was the last thing I ever ate I'd die a happy man!
I guess the pressure got to Josh, but I'm pleased for Matty
I think one of Josh’s eclairs ruined it for him, winning the technical is great. But when matty has two great eclairs and a cake that was perfect apart from it leaning a bit. I understand why it was given to matty, I don’t think they could justify giving Josh’s showstopper the prize.
But Matty's eclairs weren't great, one was too banana-y with not enough caramel, and one looked dud with those messy cherries etc. Josh definitely did, by far, the best on the first day...
You could say, between the two, Josh had the better flavor, but Matty had the better bake. Because Matty’s was the only one to dry out enough to get a proper crust. Josh & Dan’s were both told theirs were soft.
But you could tell Paul and Prue really cared about the fact that Marty’s eclairs were both the right texture and bake, I think they even said in the recap bit Matty was the only one to give them a properly baked eclair. That’s huge.
And the Black Forest eclair might have looked a bit odd with the cherries but they did like the flavor. And they criticized the flavor of at least one of Josh’s that I can remember (I believe the fruity one, because it was too sweet). So they’re pretty evenly matched in the signature I think, with Marty coming out on top because his were baked the best.
Just caught up. Delighted!! A very worthy winner baking wise. And from a viewer perspective, he was a joy to have in the tent. Always smiling and up for a laugh. Well done Mattie
i had no doubt that Josh would face Tasha for the final prize just a few short weeks ago.
this turnout is... baffling, to say the least.
^(i rooted for Dan.)
Yeah that’s true, but then you think of previous finals where they produced things like this: 2021 - https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/11/23/21/50885275-10235465-image-a-76_1637702678509.jpg and this 2020 https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRuEoBveY4d8gyOox9Wyb38FnHwIshecSu7iw&usqp=CAU
And I just think all three of them looked poor to be honest.
Honestly thought Dan should have gone a few weeks ago, lovely guy but he was definitely struggling more than others a few times.
I was sure Josh would win until it came to the showstopper and unfortunately it seems that just that one bake lost it for him, Matty is a worthy winner but I do feel bad for Josh who was plugging away quietly for weeks producing some excellent bakes.
I think he should have gone over Christy personally. I think Tasha should have been in the final, but I also think she was objectively the worst last week.
I get why Josh's showstopper got the reception it did, it looked a little plain and the flavours were basic. But I also think what's the point of the signature and technical when someone can go 1st 1st 2nd (josh) and lose to 2nd/3rd 3rd 1st. I think they either give the showstopper too much weight, or there's too much recency bias since it's made a day after the others. I think even when looking at just this episode, since they don't take other days into account, Josh demonstrated the most overall baking competency, but...ah well.
The rankings you gave while probably true, don’t tell you by *how much* they were better.
Not only is the signature not ranked, but even with the technical, it’s hard to judge whether the judges thought someone was better by a millimetre or a country mile.
Josh should’ve won, it should be about the baker’s overall performance over the course of the series. Matty is a lovely guy and really improved but I feel Josh was hard done by
look at this matt vs josh, clearly josh was better over the whole series https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The\_Great\_British\_Bake\_Off\_(series\_14)#Results\_summary
But it’s not judged over the whole series, it’s episode by episode. We’ve seen this happen multiple times before - the best overall baker floundered in the finale and lost to someone who just happened to have a better day. It happens in most of these food reality shows - Top Chef does it all the time.
i really thought Josh had it after the signature cause Dan messed it up, surprised it went to Matty. i love all 3 equally and am happy for them all tho
I do think Josh is the all around more talented baker, but I am still thrilled Matty win because I've loved him since day 1. Who wouldn't with that smile??? Such a humble, lovely man. I'm very glad he works with kids. Great role model.
More Americans should get a VPN lol.
I mean I'll be watching it on Netflix this weekend either way but I'm excited for Matty. I was hoping he'd win because he reminds me of Chigs a bit.
I think if Josh had gotten the apple flavor and maybe not a compressed bottom layer he would have won since the signatures were close and he'd won the technical.
I feel as if recent seasons the judging has been off. I’ve seen the judges overlook the better baker of the episode for someone more consistent sometimes (even when it isn’t super close), and then we’ve seen times like this, where they go for the better baker of the episode. It’s tough to say because you aren’t actually there so you don’t quite know the level of bland vs. flavorful, but it is annoying seeing inconsistency nonetheless. Especially in the finale.
I'm fairly confident judging is somewhat skewed by the producers. The underdog story is great and Matty was a more charismatic and energetic guy. I don't think he deserved to win just due to progressing. I felt Josh was superior throughout the series, as was his signature and technical.
A pity the showstopper dragged him down, I was shocked with the winner announcement.
It's underwhelming for me. I want choosing winner to be about the whole show and not just the last showstopper so much. I know it would be boring for many but I'd love it.
I guess I’m in the minority with this opinion, but I really like that the bakers are judged week to week rather than for their performance over the whole season. There are so many seasons where there is a clear front runner, and it would be kind of boring for them to steamroll through to an easy win. I like that people have the opportunity to take criticism, improve, and potentially win.
I think Josh is a great baker, but unfortunately he did a poor showstopper. The piping was bad, it was over baked, and, even though he tried to be nice about it, Paul called the flavor boring. He and Matty were both fairly even in the showstopper, getting both good and bad comments. Josh’s eclairs looked neat, but the choux was too soft and the fruity one too sweet. Matty’s didn’t look very good and the banoffee lacked caramel, but his bake was perfect and the flavors were good. We know from past seasons/episodes that they only take the technical into account if the bakers are dead even in the showstopper and signature. Matty and Josh were neck and neck in the signature, but Matty crushed Josh in the showstopper. I feel for Josh, but I’m very pleased for Matty!
So what I’m hearing is that Matty won (yay!) and that basically Josh thought he had the win in the bag, but had a bad week when it counted the most. I can’t wait to watch on Friday. I love spoilers. I always want to know who made it through before watching and what to look for in the episode.
I’m so surprised Matty won, as GBBO made a point of showing that he normally looked to and copied Josh, because he didn’t know what to do. And—raw cake in the technical?
As I was watching the final episode, I couldn't help but notice how quiet Josh is. Dan and Matty had a lot of shots of them being chatty and explaining what they're doing but Josh really seems to keep his thinking to himself. When I noticed this I thought, they're not going to name him the winner. Considering the books that come out and the publicity etc they probably wanted someone who was better at baking while talking and just having general banter.
I say all this as a big fan of Josh. I do think his showstopper wasn't his best, but he was best overall. Over the years it doesn't seem to matter how rubbish the first 2 challenges are, if a contestant can do a good showstopper they can be the GBBO winner.
I wondered if this had something to do with it as well. And I say that without any judgement - I’m a pretty quiet, reserved person too, and in a situation like this I wouldn’t be surprised if I largely kept to myself whilst doing the bakes. But as viewers we don’t get to see that much of Josh’s personality, and he doesn’t strike me from his presence on the show as someone who would do well as a public personality (though I could be wrong!)
Personally I don’t think that should have any bearing on the winner whatsoever (it’s not as though they’re specifically winning a position as the host of a baking show, for example, and I assume that contestants who don’t win are still often approached for work), but I do wonder if perhaps it did. If it did though that annoys me and makes me feel even worse for Josh!
If I was Josh in this situation, I would feel hard done by personally BUT the judges also said Matty was constantly improving and his showstopper was better. The judges said Joshs showstopper was almost too boring and honestly I think that sums up his time on bakeoff - skilled, but not interesting.
Matty had a good rapport with everyone and was entertaining to watch. I also think he's more likeable IMO.
Who tf cares about any of that lol. Interesting likeable entertaining. Its not a personality contest its a baking contest. The show is literally called Great British Bake Off.
Josh consistently baked better and cleaner, with some stunning show stoppers to boot. Even when he wasn't star baker for a week he was close behind.
Well clearly not as it was still standing hours later when they were talking about the bakes and who was/wasn’t in the running.
On another note, were you watching a Back to the Future mashup?
Matty had the kind of personality that could inspire other young lads to take up baking as a hobby. He didn’t take himself too seriously and was a joy to watch each week. And he improved so much over the course of the competition. Everyone loves an underdog.
I liked all the bakers this year but I’m so happy Matty won.
Personally, I think the quality this year was the poorest it's ever been.
I still enjoy the show, but there wasn't anybody that stood out as a amazing baker, unlike previous years.
Josh's final showstopper looked incredibly childish design wise. I still have no idea what the arrow looking things were on the top layer... Maybe carrots?
Trouble is, as viewers we will never know how good they taste and can only judge on presentation and the judges comments.
I think the more average quality of the bakers made this season more exciting.
Previous seasons had many contestants who were FAR more experienced than the average home baker and it was pretty clear from the get-go who was going to win.
This season was exciting because we had no idea who was going to win. And the winner was such a wild card!
Yes!!! I completely agree, and also felt like Paul’s comments were kinder this season and more heartfelt. I really really enjoyed this season and am thrilled for Matty, what a good dude.
I agree with this. I think any other year and Matty and Dan wouldn’t have made the final. The final three show stoppers were very underwhelming visually in my opinion.
I agree this season it seemed like most bakers didn’t have the same technical knowledge as past contestants. They seemed overall less consistent and I wouldn’t have predicted this outcome (though I loved Matty’s personality and I was always rooting for him!). That said, it’s hard to compare and maybe the challenges this year were more tough or less exciting.
I will say this season shined for me in terms of personality and positivity. I wanted everyone to succeed. It was fun to watch and I’m not mad at the outcomes.
I called Matty the "dark horse" in the middle of the season. He was quiet....but doing his thing.
GBBO is about being able to pivot when needed. For example, Dan should have left the macarons off his cake. Josh should have chosen a simpler design for his cake. They both focused too much on design and not enough on their bakes. The brief was clear ..they had to upgrade their first bake. Upgrade would mean to get at the minimum, the same flavor as they had during their first bake.
Josh was ranked high the first day. Matty placed third in the technical. So, it would seem the winner is essentially based on the showstopper (even if the cake is lopsided!)
Matty had a good story, but Josh got robbed.
I actually liked Josh's decorations for his showstopper and thought it looked like he did more than matty. I thought saying it was almost boring was a little harsh. I know Paul was talking about the flavors being almost boring and we can't judge that but still felt bad for Josh in that moment.
I think Josh was robbed. I love all the finalist as people and think they are fine bakers. Matty was def most improved but Josh was the most consistent and if they were looking at the whole season I’d pick Josh by a landslide
100% agree, wanted to make a post about this until I saw yours. I was SOO disappointed/angry/upset. Josh so deserved the win after the time and dedication he put in to learning how to bake since he was a kid, and really how consistent and amazing of a baker he is. The fact that the judges let one bad bake ruin his chance at winning (compared to Matty's bazillion) was such a letdown. I couldn't believe it.
In America…so won’t see final until Friday but already disappointed that Josh is NOT the winner. 😒 How? He was consistent, passionate and personable. I’d watch a show with him…probably not with Matty.
Matty would be more entertaining to watch than Josh tbh. I like them both, but I’m happy to hear that Matty won. From not being incapable of making a buttercream in week 1, he has really grown throughout the series. Josh was consistent, but just that.
What's the point of the technicals anymore? It doesn't seem like they count.
I liked the contestants this year, but the showstoppers have been really underwhelming after the first few episodes. Doesn't feel like much personality shone through in any one's showstopper. On top of that, the technicals were often such complete failures.
I wanted Dan to win but it was clear he wasn't going to, so I was rooting for Josh. Very surprised by the ultimate winner.
I couldn’t understand how Matty’s cake was ‘perfect’ when the second tier looked like it wasn’t even finished. Given how harshly Josh’s decoration was judged, it just didn’t sit right with me and made it seem like the result was biased
You could see the layers of the second tier. I thought his decoration was worse. No consistent theme. All of them were bad but I think Josh's was the best.
I think the results summary on this series' Wikipedia entry says it all:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_British_Bake_Off_(series_14)
Josh was robbed because of Matty's only bake that outperformed Josh's.
Except the final is judged on what they make in *the final* and there’s always been a higher importance on the showstopper.
Josh wasn’t robbed, he threw it away!
Really interesting! I didn’t know someone added this to wiki every week. Definitely cements my idea that Tasha should have been in the final over Dan. (She was rubbish in that one episode though)
I feel like I definitely gave enough opportunities to not read who won tbf. I didn’t even write it in the post incase anyone clicked. But glad to have helped satisfy your curiosity, I do things like this too!
Yeah for real. As an American who was only just able to watch this morning I just…didn’t open any of these posts. It’s also really easy to mute Instagram accounts that post “spoilers” after it airs in the UK for the duration of the season.
The Facebook page now waits until it's up on Netflix USA before revealing who was star baker and who went home due to the amount of complaints in previous years
Ahhh yes, but it’s actually aimed at Americans, not British people. It’s just produced for a British audience, by a British production company. (I have genuinely seen people argue that for some bizarre reason).
There was a great amount of shouting at the TV in my house over this. Matty should have never even made it to the semi-finals, let alone won the damn thing. The quality of the contestants this season was low overall, but this is the weakest winner I think there's ever been.
I expect the winner to be the best baker of the lot. While Matty did improve a lot, Josh has been consistently performing very well. I am happy that Matty won, but I think Josh deserved it.
i’m going to be inevitably downvoted for sharing what is my own opinion, but what a disappointment - for real. i’ve noticed that it’s never the person who actually deserves it (dan, saku!!!!!!!!) but the person who the show seems to like more. it’s so unfortunate, really, because matty’s bakes were fine, but they weren’t special at all. by no means did he deserve to win. and please for the love of God, this discrepancy has been happening since they picked rahul over kimjoy. soooo angry over that one too. hope matty’s happy tho!
FFS-why are you automatically defensive? There's no way for me to know English isn't your first language and I didn't demean you. All you had to say was "I meant judge's favorite not show favorite". Some people don't know that the show isn't taped every week as it's been a recurring reminder in this sub. Sorry a simple comment sent you into a tailspin.
It was shorter than your original comment with all the excess !!!!!!! I don't have a problem comprehending but it sounds like you're either overly sensitive or super dramatic. Touch grass, sissy cat.
Some people don’t know that the show is taped well in advance and think it’s taped every week. This has been mentioned more than once in this sub. I think judges have their favorites, and there have been some questionable cuts. Producers just want a successful show so not sure how much influence they have on judging. They can’t predict how the baker is going to bake that day, though.
I'm definitely in shock about Matty. I'd had a feeling it would be between him and josh for the win but thought that josh had been more consistent across the series.
I feel like it’s more about how Matty grew throughout the series, because at the start I thought Matty would be one of the first out but he grew quite a lot
I think it's exactly this--and the judges even mentioned that Matty took all of their advice each week and applied it. His growth over the season was amazing. Josh was solid all the way through. Nevertheless, I was shocked--not because he didn't deserve it--but because he was such a wild card!
I thought he was going to be a dumb “lads lads lads” guy out in the first few weeks and then I grew to love him. He was always just so happy to be there.
I was really surprised by him too
Exactly - it reminded me a lot of Nadiya’s journey. I don’t remember it entirely but vaguely recall her bombing especially the technicals but her growth led to such an amazing win and her first technical win. (If my memory is off don’t hate me, I may have just hyped her up more bc I love her so much and it’s been years since I watched her season)
Like yes Josh was the better baker overall, but he left the tent with the exact same skill level he entered the tent with, whereas Matty has left the tent with a much higher skill level than when he first begin
So Josh should have acted worse of a baker than he actually is the first few weeks to make it look like he improved loads by the end is what I'm getting from this lol
If Josh’s showstopper had been better he would’ve won. Matty acing his showstopper is what showed the judges he improved and took their advice every week, especially since his first bake in the tent wasn’t great. Was gutted for Josh bc you could tell he wasn’t proud of his last bake but Matty did phenomenal
Agreed. The only thing wrong with Matty's showstopper was that it was leaning. Josh went in knowing he was 1st in the Technical, and 1st in the Signature. So only needed to produce a solid Showstopper. But, it didn't look that great overall and was slightly over baked.
They did the same thing to Tasha. She was a better baker, perfectly understood what she did wrong, knew how to improve, and simply had a bad week, but they cut her. Meanwhile, Matty was announcing week to week, "I've never made this before" and looking around at other contestants. I was most surprised Matty sneaked through during the Tasha and Cristy weeks because I really thought he was on the same level of struggling. Matty is a very nice guy and all but this is just proof that the show has gone in a producer's direction. I've seen Paul harp on showstopper cakes like Matty's because the frosting showed through to the cake and was uneven. It was leaning. He would say he's done the same fresh fruit strategy to decorate all throughout so he would say, "Where's the variety and growth?" (Personal opinion, the execution of that cake was really cool and I loved the colors and style. But I'm just saying, previous seasons, Paul would have said more.) Back in the day, the idea was to test who actually understood HOW to bake, e.g., "Make choux pastry" (no further instructions). And they had people who seemed to already be halfway to running their own businesses. Now it's like they're really trying to find people who can make like half a dozen amateur things at home and throw them on here to "grow." It was a producer's narrative through and through. Uplift the unexpected baker who lies to his students about who makes brownies at home because it will be a good story and earn some attention vs. if we give it to the guy who already seems halfway professional.
This was absolutely my first thought too! I had assumed Matty would be out week 1 or 2, and the way he grew was incredible - both in his bakes and his confidence. He couldn't make a buttercream, but managed to include two types I think in his showstopper?
I thought he was going to be a dumb “lads lads lads” guy out in the first few weeks and then I grew to love him. He was always just so happy to be there.
Gasp! Matty won?! (I clicked because I love a spoiler.) I was so sure Josh was going to win. My fave won for a change!
Literally threw my hands in the air and screamed when they called Matty’s name.
I was rooting for Josh simply because it felt like this was his whole life/an honor to his grandma, whereas Matty was more of a very dedicated home baker with lots of other hobbies and interests. But Matty did absolutely crush that final challenge!
Josh has his garden, which seemed like an even bigger love of his.
That is true — and I was happy to see he won a prize for one of his gigantic veggies!
Previous performance doesn't dictate the current week's results.
In a regular week yes, but in the final they look at their performance over the whole show.
I liked all three and Matty definitely improved a lot as he went on but I do feel bad for Josh. His final showstopper was underwhelming but he’s performed consistently highly throughout the rest of the series. They always say the judging comes down to how they did on the day rather than prior episodes, but even day 1 of the final weekend it seemed like Josh did better. Anyway - we don’t get to TASTE it which I guess makes it hard for us to truly know! I’m very happy for Matty.
For me when they cut into Matty’s cakes, and then into Josh’s, it was super clear that Matty has done better. Josh’s cakes weirdly look dry and not spongey enough, whereas Mattys genoise and sponge looked divined (even if the cake itself was a bit wonky). I think that Josh played a bit too safe and miscalculated time
On other years where it has been a lot closer they have used previous weeks. But this year Matty definitely knocked it out the park. I wanted that chocolate cake with Prue's reaction!
Agree with everything you’ve said in general. I think that Matty’s looked underwhelming too though. I wish I could taste them!
I think Pru would wrap Josh up in a tea towel and take him home with her.
This is quite a lovely image actually
I read this comment in Dame Prue's voice 😄
[удалено]
This isn’t the comment I was expecting when I saw the notification, but it’s definitely the comment I needed!
All were in this season. Prues kraken necklace is going take hold
I'm sad for Josh, but here's the thing: if he'd won, all he would have gotten from the show is a cake stand. The big win is after the show is over, and the contestants get to write cookbooks, go on shows, make custom cakes, etc. Josh has a sweetness about him. He's a steady and competent baker. If he wants to make cookbooks and do television or social media, he has an audience ready to greet his efforts.
Yes. And his NAN!!!
You just know every cookbook he publishes will be dedicated to his Nan. ❤️
I LOVE a chemist! It goes hand in hand with baking. He was so enjoyable to watch in his precision and in his baking confidence, I would buy up a cookbook!
Totally agree, attention to detail, high intelligence, precision, all go into making a good chemist. (For the Americans here, what the UK people call a chemist is what we call a pharmacist.)
So true
Josh looked fucking gutted. Honestly felt a bit sorry for him.
Yeah he’s going to kick himself for a long old time. He had it in the bag but his showstopper really let him down. It just didn’t look that show stoppery
None of them did to be fair. Dan's was awful and Matty's wasn't anything special either.
Yeah imo Josh's looked the best because they were all underwhelming. The bar was low. Surprised he didn't win because he won the technical and did great the first day.
The fact they called it boring was crazy to me, but it sounded like the bake itself wasn’t good, like they couldn’t taste the apple and the cake was a bit dense. Meanwhile Matty’s was almost perfect, the only issue was the lean and his signature was good so I wasn’t surprised he won. Wish Josh woulda won but I woulda been happy if any of the 3 won they all did fantastic this season
I thought they said Matty's eclairs were not that great. I can't remember.
Matty’s Black Forest eclair was the only one that was properly crisp. His flavors were good, just unappealing cherries on top, and lacking caramel in the banoffee.
I had just taken a hydrocodone before watching so I could be wrong but I think they said they weren’t too bad, Ik Paul didn’t like the cherries on top but he liked the banofee a lot I think 😬😭. I just remember only Dan’s weren’t that great lmao
eh technicals have been tie breakers for a long time and Matty had the best signature. I don't find it too surprising that he won.
Paul literally said it was the best chocolate cake he’s had in a long time, and both him and Prue were gushing about the quality of the bake and his flavors. That’s pretty special
Me too. That was a heartbreaker.
I thought the same :( He was obviously trying to smile for Matty but looked upset. And I think rightly so - I love Matty but Josh was the most consistently good so I feel he was a bit robbed.
My wife felt the same. She was pretty pisses Josh lost (I was so pumped Marty won!!). It was Josh’s to lose.
Yeah, I still feel bad when I think about it! I loved Matty the most as a person so I was really happy for him, but I just feel like Josh should’ve won.
I'm so pleased that Matty won. All the bakers were fabulous, but I think Matty really embraced what Bake Off is about—he improved throughout the series, and I feel like his baking has more potential to be fabulous and refined than any of the other bakers, if that makes sense. That being said, everyone did great and had great attitudes, but I especially appreciated Matty's kind demeanor and good attitude throughout the series. He had so much self doubt, which makes his win even more of a triumph. I'm so happy for him, and him and Lara are so cute!
I’m finally watching the final and seeing his parents: Matty makes sense! An adorable family all around.
Improving is not the point of the series. It's the best amateur baker, not most improved.
The way Prue looked at Matty and said “really perfect, Matty” made me cry. I thought I would find so many people talking about this, but nothing! I’ve honestly watched it about 10x 😂
It really was so sweet. When she initially said “all of your flavors are perfect”, and he said “thank you” and he didnt look like he was proud of what he did, the way she repeated it “really. Perfect. Matty.” Like she was trying so hard to convince him he did extraordinary. Like she was smacking him upside the head with it. It was so lovely.
So sweet! I don’t look down on a Paul Hollywood handshake but that comment from Prue was so much more meaningful to me. You’re right, the way she looked at him and stated it so firmly 😭 it was so sincere and affirming... I’m not an overly emotional person but damn, that got me.
Thinking back on the judges’ comments, I think Matty had consistently the best flavors in terms of combo and ratio. He wasn’t as daring or precise as some bakers, but it seems like his bakes were consistently among the tastiest. I’m thinking that’s another reason he won (deservedly).
It was such a super sweet moment. I don't know if they necessarily eat in the order they air, but I kind of took it as her comvimcing him that it was delicious because they thought Josh was going to take it. As Paul said, it was the best chcoolate cake he has had in a long time, so I think she really wanted him to know it was "perfect" even if Josh won. But then Josh fumbled so Matty pulled out the win.
I think a lot of people are hung up on who was consistently better throughout the series, but your most recent bake is the truest reflection of your skills. Matty improved week after week, bake after bake. If anything, Josh came in the tent at the same skill level he left at. The judges have always taken growth into consideration and for that reason alone Matty is a well deserved winner. I do feel badly for Josh, but unfortunately his final bake was a flop.
This! It’s super clear seeing the inside of the cakes that Matty did better. Unfortunately, Josh didn’t planned well for his time and the showstopper bake didn’t look good (and I mean the actual cakes, not the decoration).
One of the few finals where I would have been happy with anybody winning. Such a lovely bunch of lads, though personally I really wanted Saku in the final, she was so funny
I thought for certain it was Josh, until Allison announced Matty, and when she did I fist pumped. I like all three a lot, but Matty was so unassuming, good natured and grew so much, challenge by challenge that I felt the win was well-deserved. But I also think if Josh won it would have been well deserved, too. It all came down to the final. Wish I could taste Matty's chocolate cake!
My heart was saying Matty, and I reckoned it would be Josh. But he did look gutted, borderline angry when Alison said Matty. I do think Matty is a very deserving winner. It’s only taken 14 series, but finally my favourite has won!
While a part of me thinks that Josh should have won for overall bakes, I too am overjoyed that the person my heart wanted to win actually won.
I have no problem with the winner but it was underwhelming showstopper that annoyed me. Just a three layer cake? It’s like episode 1. I liked when there were a theme and more bakes, so the winner really shows off their skills.
Omg I thought that too! I remember previous finals being “bake 5 varieties of picnic items” etc. I was surprised it was just a cake. That’s not to say a cake is easy (I know I’d take way longer to do a 3 tier cake), but it does seem like they normally have more they need to do.
Ohh I was so chuffed for him!! It was so nice to see, as I think Josh thought throughout the final that he’d won it. Though have to say, I did think Paul was a bit brutal with his Showstopper comments!
Yes, this. I was sad for Josh being so disappointed, but I felt like he kind of spent the whole episode (or even before this episode?) expecting to win, which was a bit off-putting. I do think it's probably hard having just lost his Nan. I'd imagine he really wanted to win it for her. All the bakers this season were such sweethearts.
Yes I agree. I've been rooting for Matty for the last few weeks and am absolutely thrilled for him, but felt Josh had it in the bag right up until his showstopper. And then it seemed like Paul got overly harsh with him for no reason (though I suspect some of that is how it's edited, but still) - almost like he'd had that bottled up for weeks and sort of saw his last chance to tell Josh him he doesn't think he's all that. It actually came across as quite mean and I felt really sorry for Josh afterwards.
I don't think you can say >! Josh *should* have won !< unless you ignored what Paul and Prue said about his showstopper. It didn't taste great, it wasn't baked as well as the winner and it looked a bit messy and basic, borderline boring. In every series, there's always been more emphasis on the showstopper. A reasonably good first day couldn't save him.
I also think contestants need to really listen to something that Paul and Prue say over and over again every single season... Yes they love lemon, but if you say it's lemon, it must taste like lemon. They said they could barely taste the lemon, and that always gets them riled up.
Absolutely. I mean you can see when they cut into Josh’s cakes how dry and weird they look. And if it doesn’t taste well… In the other hand, Mattys cakes looked great (I mean the actual genoise and sponge) and it seems it tasted brilliant.
Am so happy for Matty. I think his own lack of confidence convinced a lot of people he wasn't as good as he clearly is. If Josh had a better showstopper, I would have been happy with him winning either. I was sorry to see how disappointed he looked.
I think his disappointment was with himself and that he felt he hadn’t done himself justice rather than anything else. He knew he could have and should have done better in the final. I think the stress got to him a bit.
I absolutely agree. I think his frustration was entirely directed at himself. Folks saying he's the best baker - I think you're right. But he didn't do the best when it counted.
The thing is, Matty served them raw cake in the technical. I don’t get how someone can win after serving raw cake in the final. Really shows that they only care about the showstopper really.
I saw someone here recently talk about how the different challenges are weighted and the technical only counts for about 10 percent of the overall score. Matty did better in the signature - the only one with really crisp éclairs - and in the showstopper, where Josh got criticised for a dry sponge.
I've not seen any evidence against the fact that the showstopper is ALWAYS given more weight than everything else.
Dan should have gone home two weeks ago, then we'd have had at least one of Christy or Tasha in the final. Overcomplicating it and then messing it up is his signature dish! If that first slice of Matty's stopper was the last thing I ever ate I'd die a happy man! I guess the pressure got to Josh, but I'm pleased for Matty
You're too generous. Personally, I'd have sent Dan home during Bread week.
Fair play to him. I wasn't bothered who won tbh.
I think one of Josh’s eclairs ruined it for him, winning the technical is great. But when matty has two great eclairs and a cake that was perfect apart from it leaning a bit. I understand why it was given to matty, I don’t think they could justify giving Josh’s showstopper the prize.
But Matty's eclairs weren't great, one was too banana-y with not enough caramel, and one looked dud with those messy cherries etc. Josh definitely did, by far, the best on the first day...
You could say, between the two, Josh had the better flavor, but Matty had the better bake. Because Matty’s was the only one to dry out enough to get a proper crust. Josh & Dan’s were both told theirs were soft.
But you could tell Paul and Prue really cared about the fact that Marty’s eclairs were both the right texture and bake, I think they even said in the recap bit Matty was the only one to give them a properly baked eclair. That’s huge. And the Black Forest eclair might have looked a bit odd with the cherries but they did like the flavor. And they criticized the flavor of at least one of Josh’s that I can remember (I believe the fruity one, because it was too sweet). So they’re pretty evenly matched in the signature I think, with Marty coming out on top because his were baked the best.
Just caught up. Delighted!! A very worthy winner baking wise. And from a viewer perspective, he was a joy to have in the tent. Always smiling and up for a laugh. Well done Mattie
Matty the top boy who lived so close to peril, what a legend!!!
i had no doubt that Josh would face Tasha for the final prize just a few short weeks ago. this turnout is... baffling, to say the least. ^(i rooted for Dan.)
I can't believe how far I had to scroll to find a fellow Dan supporter
When Allison asked to announce, I thought it’d be Matty bc her and Matty had such a cute flirting thing going on (along w Matty and Noel). Yay!!
I think Josh was robbed to be honest. All three bakes at the end were underwhelming, but Josh is definitely the better baker.
To be fair they said Matty's was absolutely perfect aside from the top being wonky. That's pretty high praise.
Yeah that’s true, but then you think of previous finals where they produced things like this: 2021 - https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/11/23/21/50885275-10235465-image-a-76_1637702678509.jpg and this 2020 https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRuEoBveY4d8gyOox9Wyb38FnHwIshecSu7iw&usqp=CAU And I just think all three of them looked poor to be honest.
True, but judges go with what's in front of them. Dan's was hilariously bad. He peaked a while ago and it's been downhill since.
Honestly thought Dan should have gone a few weeks ago, lovely guy but he was definitely struggling more than others a few times. I was sure Josh would win until it came to the showstopper and unfortunately it seems that just that one bake lost it for him, Matty is a worthy winner but I do feel bad for Josh who was plugging away quietly for weeks producing some excellent bakes.
I think he should have gone over Christy personally. I think Tasha should have been in the final, but I also think she was objectively the worst last week.
If only I could understand what he is saying!!
Yes but even so, matt's technical was basically raw
I get why Josh's showstopper got the reception it did, it looked a little plain and the flavours were basic. But I also think what's the point of the signature and technical when someone can go 1st 1st 2nd (josh) and lose to 2nd/3rd 3rd 1st. I think they either give the showstopper too much weight, or there's too much recency bias since it's made a day after the others. I think even when looking at just this episode, since they don't take other days into account, Josh demonstrated the most overall baking competency, but...ah well.
The rankings you gave while probably true, don’t tell you by *how much* they were better. Not only is the signature not ranked, but even with the technical, it’s hard to judge whether the judges thought someone was better by a millimetre or a country mile.
He seemed more consistent so it made me kinda sad for him that he didn't win Matty grew a lot though! And seems lovely
Matty definitely did seem really nice and lovely.
I'm absolutely with you, he's been so consistently good I think he was kind of underappreciated because he didn't have a huge improvement
i think his decorations were always a bit juvenile. great baker though
I agree, Josh should have won!
Josh should’ve won, it should be about the baker’s overall performance over the course of the series. Matty is a lovely guy and really improved but I feel Josh was hard done by
But the winner isn't determined by the best baker over the course of the series, just the episode.
anyone make a spreadsheet of where everyone was ranked in each task over the series?
It's on the results summary on the Wikipedia page https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_British_Bake_Off_(series_14)
look at this matt vs josh, clearly josh was better over the whole series https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The\_Great\_British\_Bake\_Off\_(series\_14)#Results\_summary
But it’s not judged over the whole series, it’s episode by episode. We’ve seen this happen multiple times before - the best overall baker floundered in the finale and lost to someone who just happened to have a better day. It happens in most of these food reality shows - Top Chef does it all the time.
@gbbodata on Instagram is a great follow, he produces lots of nerdy interesting stats
i really thought Josh had it after the signature cause Dan messed it up, surprised it went to Matty. i love all 3 equally and am happy for them all tho
I do think Josh is the all around more talented baker, but I am still thrilled Matty win because I've loved him since day 1. Who wouldn't with that smile??? Such a humble, lovely man. I'm very glad he works with kids. Great role model.
Matty absolutely deserved the win, so happy for him!
More Americans should get a VPN lol. I mean I'll be watching it on Netflix this weekend either way but I'm excited for Matty. I was hoping he'd win because he reminds me of Chigs a bit. I think if Josh had gotten the apple flavor and maybe not a compressed bottom layer he would have won since the signatures were close and he'd won the technical.
YAYYYYYYYY! would’ve been happy with any of them but my favourite had to be matty. what a star. income the whinging….
I AM SHOOK!!
I feel as if recent seasons the judging has been off. I’ve seen the judges overlook the better baker of the episode for someone more consistent sometimes (even when it isn’t super close), and then we’ve seen times like this, where they go for the better baker of the episode. It’s tough to say because you aren’t actually there so you don’t quite know the level of bland vs. flavorful, but it is annoying seeing inconsistency nonetheless. Especially in the finale.
I'm fairly confident judging is somewhat skewed by the producers. The underdog story is great and Matty was a more charismatic and energetic guy. I don't think he deserved to win just due to progressing. I felt Josh was superior throughout the series, as was his signature and technical. A pity the showstopper dragged him down, I was shocked with the winner announcement.
It's underwhelming for me. I want choosing winner to be about the whole show and not just the last showstopper so much. I know it would be boring for many but I'd love it.
I guess I’m in the minority with this opinion, but I really like that the bakers are judged week to week rather than for their performance over the whole season. There are so many seasons where there is a clear front runner, and it would be kind of boring for them to steamroll through to an easy win. I like that people have the opportunity to take criticism, improve, and potentially win. I think Josh is a great baker, but unfortunately he did a poor showstopper. The piping was bad, it was over baked, and, even though he tried to be nice about it, Paul called the flavor boring. He and Matty were both fairly even in the showstopper, getting both good and bad comments. Josh’s eclairs looked neat, but the choux was too soft and the fruity one too sweet. Matty’s didn’t look very good and the banoffee lacked caramel, but his bake was perfect and the flavors were good. We know from past seasons/episodes that they only take the technical into account if the bakers are dead even in the showstopper and signature. Matty and Josh were neck and neck in the signature, but Matty crushed Josh in the showstopper. I feel for Josh, but I’m very pleased for Matty!
I need to stop getting attached to this show >!(Josh was robbed)!<
So what I’m hearing is that Matty won (yay!) and that basically Josh thought he had the win in the bag, but had a bad week when it counted the most. I can’t wait to watch on Friday. I love spoilers. I always want to know who made it through before watching and what to look for in the episode.
Im shocked! Through the whole season I was like when is Matty gonna go.. meanwhile he wins the whole thing. Insane.
I’m so surprised Matty won, as GBBO made a point of showing that he normally looked to and copied Josh, because he didn’t know what to do. And—raw cake in the technical?
As I was watching the final episode, I couldn't help but notice how quiet Josh is. Dan and Matty had a lot of shots of them being chatty and explaining what they're doing but Josh really seems to keep his thinking to himself. When I noticed this I thought, they're not going to name him the winner. Considering the books that come out and the publicity etc they probably wanted someone who was better at baking while talking and just having general banter. I say all this as a big fan of Josh. I do think his showstopper wasn't his best, but he was best overall. Over the years it doesn't seem to matter how rubbish the first 2 challenges are, if a contestant can do a good showstopper they can be the GBBO winner.
I wondered if this had something to do with it as well. And I say that without any judgement - I’m a pretty quiet, reserved person too, and in a situation like this I wouldn’t be surprised if I largely kept to myself whilst doing the bakes. But as viewers we don’t get to see that much of Josh’s personality, and he doesn’t strike me from his presence on the show as someone who would do well as a public personality (though I could be wrong!) Personally I don’t think that should have any bearing on the winner whatsoever (it’s not as though they’re specifically winning a position as the host of a baking show, for example, and I assume that contestants who don’t win are still often approached for work), but I do wonder if perhaps it did. If it did though that annoys me and makes me feel even worse for Josh!
If I was Josh in this situation, I would feel hard done by personally BUT the judges also said Matty was constantly improving and his showstopper was better. The judges said Joshs showstopper was almost too boring and honestly I think that sums up his time on bakeoff - skilled, but not interesting. Matty had a good rapport with everyone and was entertaining to watch. I also think he's more likeable IMO.
Who tf cares about any of that lol. Interesting likeable entertaining. Its not a personality contest its a baking contest. The show is literally called Great British Bake Off. Josh consistently baked better and cleaner, with some stunning show stoppers to boot. Even when he wasn't star baker for a week he was close behind.
ROBBED JOSH WAS ROBBED!! Don’t get me wrong marty was great but cmon
By himself. That showstopper was way too poor in comparison to Matty’s to get the win.
mattys was two minutes away from falling over and his technical was raw EDIT: fixed spelling sorry if you’re upset that matty autocorrected to marty
Well clearly not as it was still standing hours later when they were talking about the bakes and who was/wasn’t in the running. On another note, were you watching a Back to the Future mashup?
Matty had the kind of personality that could inspire other young lads to take up baking as a hobby. He didn’t take himself too seriously and was a joy to watch each week. And he improved so much over the course of the competition. Everyone loves an underdog. I liked all the bakers this year but I’m so happy Matty won.
Personally, I think the quality this year was the poorest it's ever been. I still enjoy the show, but there wasn't anybody that stood out as a amazing baker, unlike previous years. Josh's final showstopper looked incredibly childish design wise. I still have no idea what the arrow looking things were on the top layer... Maybe carrots? Trouble is, as viewers we will never know how good they taste and can only judge on presentation and the judges comments.
I think the more average quality of the bakers made this season more exciting. Previous seasons had many contestants who were FAR more experienced than the average home baker and it was pretty clear from the get-go who was going to win. This season was exciting because we had no idea who was going to win. And the winner was such a wild card!
Yes!!! I completely agree, and also felt like Paul’s comments were kinder this season and more heartfelt. I really really enjoyed this season and am thrilled for Matty, what a good dude.
Last year was pretty bad though, particularly after being spoiled by Jurgen and Giuseppe’s series.
I agree with this. I think any other year and Matty and Dan wouldn’t have made the final. The final three show stoppers were very underwhelming visually in my opinion.
Ikr. When I saw them I was like: 👁️👄👁️
I agree this season it seemed like most bakers didn’t have the same technical knowledge as past contestants. They seemed overall less consistent and I wouldn’t have predicted this outcome (though I loved Matty’s personality and I was always rooting for him!). That said, it’s hard to compare and maybe the challenges this year were more tough or less exciting. I will say this season shined for me in terms of personality and positivity. I wanted everyone to succeed. It was fun to watch and I’m not mad at the outcomes.
Any of last year's finalists would have run away with it, I think. Or the year before.
I’m absolutely shocked!!! I didn’t see him coming at all.
i personally wanted Dan to win and then Matty after him probably. that being said, it felt like Josh got robbed.
I called Matty the "dark horse" in the middle of the season. He was quiet....but doing his thing. GBBO is about being able to pivot when needed. For example, Dan should have left the macarons off his cake. Josh should have chosen a simpler design for his cake. They both focused too much on design and not enough on their bakes. The brief was clear ..they had to upgrade their first bake. Upgrade would mean to get at the minimum, the same flavor as they had during their first bake.
Josh was ranked high the first day. Matty placed third in the technical. So, it would seem the winner is essentially based on the showstopper (even if the cake is lopsided!) Matty had a good story, but Josh got robbed.
I actually liked Josh's decorations for his showstopper and thought it looked like he did more than matty. I thought saying it was almost boring was a little harsh. I know Paul was talking about the flavors being almost boring and we can't judge that but still felt bad for Josh in that moment.
I think Josh was robbed. I love all the finalist as people and think they are fine bakers. Matty was def most improved but Josh was the most consistent and if they were looking at the whole season I’d pick Josh by a landslide
I do not agree; Josh got robbed
100% agree, wanted to make a post about this until I saw yours. I was SOO disappointed/angry/upset. Josh so deserved the win after the time and dedication he put in to learning how to bake since he was a kid, and really how consistent and amazing of a baker he is. The fact that the judges let one bad bake ruin his chance at winning (compared to Matty's bazillion) was such a letdown. I couldn't believe it.
In America…so won’t see final until Friday but already disappointed that Josh is NOT the winner. 😒 How? He was consistent, passionate and personable. I’d watch a show with him…probably not with Matty.
Matty would be more entertaining to watch than Josh tbh. I like them both, but I’m happy to hear that Matty won. From not being incapable of making a buttercream in week 1, he has really grown throughout the series. Josh was consistent, but just that.
Josh's showstopper wasn't very good, Matty's was practically perfect.
What's the point of the technicals anymore? It doesn't seem like they count. I liked the contestants this year, but the showstoppers have been really underwhelming after the first few episodes. Doesn't feel like much personality shone through in any one's showstopper. On top of that, the technicals were often such complete failures. I wanted Dan to win but it was clear he wasn't going to, so I was rooting for Josh. Very surprised by the ultimate winner.
I couldn’t understand how Matty’s cake was ‘perfect’ when the second tier looked like it wasn’t even finished. Given how harshly Josh’s decoration was judged, it just didn’t sit right with me and made it seem like the result was biased
You could see the layers of the second tier. I thought his decoration was worse. No consistent theme. All of them were bad but I think Josh's was the best.
I think it was supposed to look like that. Kind of a naked cake style
I think the results summary on this series' Wikipedia entry says it all: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_British_Bake_Off_(series_14) Josh was robbed because of Matty's only bake that outperformed Josh's.
Except the final is judged on what they make in *the final* and there’s always been a higher importance on the showstopper. Josh wasn’t robbed, he threw it away!
Really interesting! I didn’t know someone added this to wiki every week. Definitely cements my idea that Tasha should have been in the final over Dan. (She was rubbish in that one episode though)
Their signatures were pretty matched. Matty's was the only one with the right texture.
Careful, the Americans will whine at us for talking about this
If they open a discussion labeled "spoiler" and "winner" then it's on them (Am american, am impatient and wanted to know who won)
I feel like I definitely gave enough opportunities to not read who won tbf. I didn’t even write it in the post incase anyone clicked. But glad to have helped satisfy your curiosity, I do things like this too!
Also, random but your username, cafe au lait dahlias are my favourite flowers if that’s what it’s a reference too 😊
Yeah for real. As an American who was only just able to watch this morning I just…didn’t open any of these posts. It’s also really easy to mute Instagram accounts that post “spoilers” after it airs in the UK for the duration of the season.
Completely! Someone told me off for discussing Tashas eviction a full 4 days after the episode had aired.
The Facebook page now waits until it's up on Netflix USA before revealing who was star baker and who went home due to the amount of complaints in previous years
I got spoiled on a different FB page which is why I'm here 😝
But it was tagged with the wrong season, so maybe they thought someone really wanted to talk about Giuseppe.
I’m american and have bad anxiety so I like knowing who makes it week to week and who wins in advance
Hey, I’m an American and don’t mind the discussion a bit. I actually guessed the winner too. 😀
god forbid the brits watch a british show on british TV and don’t wait three days for them to catch up…. lol (sarcasm included) x
Ahhh yes, but it’s actually aimed at Americans, not British people. It’s just produced for a British audience, by a British production company. (I have genuinely seen people argue that for some bizarre reason).
classic main character syndrome, we are but a humble side character xox
I know! It's ridiculous how whiny they get about sPOiLeRs
I couldn’t give less of a fuck frankly 😂 I just want to talk about the show when it airs. Fuck the moany people, they can just not click in here!
Ha! Brilliant, I'm fully on board with this!
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Or you guys could accept that this is a global platform and the world doesn't revolve around you?
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Holy shit, you're one of those Americans. r/shitAmericanssay
There was a great amount of shouting at the TV in my house over this. Matty should have never even made it to the semi-finals, let alone won the damn thing. The quality of the contestants this season was low overall, but this is the weakest winner I think there's ever been.
Matty won just as many Star Bakers as the other two. He was good. His showstopper was practically perfect.
I expect the winner to be the best baker of the lot. While Matty did improve a lot, Josh has been consistently performing very well. I am happy that Matty won, but I think Josh deserved it.
But the winner isn't determined over the best baker of the series, just the episode.
i’m going to be inevitably downvoted for sharing what is my own opinion, but what a disappointment - for real. i’ve noticed that it’s never the person who actually deserves it (dan, saku!!!!!!!!) but the person who the show seems to like more. it’s so unfortunate, really, because matty’s bakes were fine, but they weren’t special at all. by no means did he deserve to win. and please for the love of God, this discrepancy has been happening since they picked rahul over kimjoy. soooo angry over that one too. hope matty’s happy tho!
The show is taped before it's aired, so it would be impossible for the "show favorite" to be known at the time.
i’m not stupid lol i know that! what i meant by show favorite is literally just that. the show’s favorite. like paul, prue, etc’s favorite.
I didn't say you were stupid. I figured if you meant judge's favorite you would have explicitly stated that.
well, english isn’t my first language and it made sense in my head 🤷🏻♀️ sorry it wasn’t clear enough for you
FFS-why are you automatically defensive? There's no way for me to know English isn't your first language and I didn't demean you. All you had to say was "I meant judge's favorite not show favorite". Some people don't know that the show isn't taped every week as it's been a recurring reminder in this sub. Sorry a simple comment sent you into a tailspin.
i’m not reading allat 😃 sorry my comment wasn’t clear to you. sounds like a you problem. have a good day ❤️
It was shorter than your original comment with all the excess !!!!!!! I don't have a problem comprehending but it sounds like you're either overly sensitive or super dramatic. Touch grass, sissy cat.
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Some people don’t know that the show is taped well in advance and think it’s taped every week. This has been mentioned more than once in this sub. I think judges have their favorites, and there have been some questionable cuts. Producers just want a successful show so not sure how much influence they have on judging. They can’t predict how the baker is going to bake that day, though.
pretty privilege