jonmarkgo

Yes, we were! Typically the crew would bring us a plate of samples after everything was over so that we could try everything. The craziest thing to me is that like..they were all delicious. The most highly praised ones and the most highly critiqued ones would all be things I'd pay good money for in a bakery.

A disconcerting amount.

Obviously you only learn about the Technicals when they announce it in the tent and you immediately have to start baking. For Signatures/Showstoppers - Some recipes I created or adapted specifically for the show, and some were staples that I made many times before. You're encouraged to practice in the lead up to filming so that you know it will work in the time allotted. We did not get to do any test runs in the Tent though.

There's a lot of crew you don't see on TV. People do indeed wash your dishes for you and bring you new ones when you need it. I think it'd just be too disruptive and too much of a time sink if you had to do it yourself.

Hi there! It was equally surreal being in the Tent, I assure you.

I do believe that this season in particular is trying to get back to its roots in terms of that feeling, and that it'll likely feel more like the British version than other American competition shows. It felt exactly as if I walked onto an episode of GBBO. The hosts, judges, crew, and other bakers are all just..really nice and supportive and friendly. It's honestly weird how well all of us bakers got along and became friends given that we were sort of just thrown together from around the country. I would gladly let whoever picked this cast pick future friends for me again 🤣

You have surprisingly little quiet work time. The hosts or judges aren't at your table the whole time, but you almost always have a camera in your face or a producer asking you to explain what you're doing or why. It is a difficult skill to both bake, and talk about it at the same time. I have a lot more respect now for food/cooking celebrities who do that so smoothly.