Sarnia

Season 20 has started. Is anyone watching? I usually have a hard time telling apart the constestants in the first rounds. First batch of contestants was OK but I wasn't fully impressed with anyone. Vinegar-soaked cherries sound absolutely horrendous. Now watching the second batch.

I came very late to watching the Celebrity Christmas specials this year as they are usually pretty cheesy, but just discovered that this year the second of these episodes had the critics as contestants! Jay Rayner, Jimi Famurewa, Grace Dent, William Sitwell and Leyla Kazim. It was a really fun episode, nice to see a more human side to them and insteresting also to see them struggle under the same pressures the usual contestants go through. Some emotional bits also. They managed rather well, although I feel that they are better critics than cooks (I have no problem with that).

And I'm on Ep 9 now. So happy that Philippe's trip-up in the invention test did not cost him the competition. His dishes for the critic looked absolutely amazing and very unique. I'm rooting for him now (which means he will probably be eliminated soon, based on my track record in the previous season... please don't spoil me if that is the case). (Edit: oh, just realized that next episodes are with a batch of new chefs again so we don't know Philippe's fate at the moment!)

I'm catching up on the season and I'm on Ep6 so far. I'm so mad at Evelina for messing up the invention test, as her two dishes in the signature dish test looked absolutely wonderful. Very happy the show is back!

That was sad, I really like Moon. Hope she's doing good. I also didn't feel she was in the bottom based on the runway (but to be honest all the other queens had a very good runway). The collegial lipsync was a nice idea. I was very distracted by Nikki's eye makeup, it felt as if she had two black eyes. I usually really like her looks but this one didn't do it for me (not that she cares ;) ).

Celebrity Masterchef is on again, is anyone watching? As usual I don't have a clue as to most of these people are 😁 but I'm in for the ride, it's always enjoyable.

I'm also late watching. I just don't get how the judges could like Brittany and Anna's look better than Viktor and Kayne, and even less how both these looks were found better than Kara Saun and Laurence's dress? That dress was not good. Not flattering, the neck was a disaster and the poor model barely could walk in it. Viktor, you were so wronged.

The song was hard to dance to for sure, but it's a famous song in France and very relevant to the show as it speaks of gender fluidity. The song was originally performed by Indochine (the group of Nicola Sirkis, one of the guest judge) and re-mastered in 2020 with Chris singing (the other guest judge) so I guess that's also why it was chosen. I was surprised that the contestants were struggling so much with the lyrics. Sorry to see Rose go, she is so sweet, but she was clearly way below the others in all aspects of the show tonight. I feel that the jury had a hard time finding other contestants to put in the bottom, there was a lot of talent in that runway. I'm so happy this show is back. The first season really made an important mark in French society.

Catching up on Season 5 and I just watched Ep4, the back house to a house they previously renovated (not sure if that was featured on a previous season?). I really liked the quirkiness of the mismatched wood planks on the wall, but it may feel oppressive after a bit. Not sure also about the kitchen located in the porch (no entry space at all) and the choice also of putting shelves in front of the windows in the kitchen. Very little storage in the house altogether, and it is a small house to have two bedrooms. I think it's set up to be a vacation rental, more than a full time housing.

If I had commented more, you would have known I was watching 😉 so that's on me. I try to watch every season (including Professionals and Celebrity) so let's meet here more regularly next time!

Well that sucks. I wanted Heidi in the finale with Jimbo. This season was already pretty underwhelming compared to the absolute wonder that was AS Season 7. Thankfully there is Jimbo.

Well the season is over, it's been quiet in here 😃 Another wonderful finale at the end of a great season. I want to eat every single dish that was presented during the finale. I was happy with all the finalists and would have been fine with any of them winning. Congratulations to , who hasn't presented a single bad dish during the whole competition. I'm also pretty sure that will have great carreers as cooks and chefs.

Very happy with the winner. Sagar may have taken it if he hadn't served piping bag to Anna, poor guy must be so upset. He's a very interesting chef though, I do hope he finds his own spot in this industry. Is Monica supposed to be back next season? I would love to have her back but Anna wasn't bad. Marcus was also a bit rough around the edges in his first season, so if Anna remains I'm hoping she will ease into it. Also, I love her accent 😉

Ep 11 also. I'm confused also about how the skills test come into play in judging,

Yes! I know JLM only from Elementary. I've watched every single episodes, and still didn't recognized him as John Major! I didn't know he was in the cast and I absolutely did not make the connection. He's doing a great job, I'm still on the fence with the rest of the cast so far.

Yay it's back! I watched the first two episodes. I miss Monica but Anna Haugh is interesting. Maybe a little bit stressed in these early stages but hopefully she'll ease into it like Marcus did. The contestants on the second episode were a little underwhelming. I'm sorry they had to cut out , I would have like to see more of these ideas, but it was the right decision.

That was painful to watch. I don't watch this show to see people humiliated. Asking the contestants to perform an impossible task in an impossible timeframe, and then shouting at them when they cannot accomplish it, is abuse. And no, it doesn't make for good TV. Last week left me all warm and happy, but this week left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I have the cultural context and I felt most of the jokes fell flat on the Snatch game. Soa, La Grande Dame and Paloma were good and funny, the other seemed to lose it pretty quickly. I was so disappointed by Bertha, I was expecting her to do great. She chose a character mostly based on physical likeness and she didn't do anything with him. Same with Kam, why, oh why did she choose Mireille Mathieu? Soa made it easy for herself by choosing someone who is a completely silent character in a TV game so she had a blank canvas (but she did great with it).

Thank you for the vote of confidence but I don't have more insight than you do into this. 😃 But I also don't think they get help, at least in the kitchen. But clearly they have the briefs in advance (at least some of them) as they say throughout the episodes that they have rehearsed their dish at home. I think that is more or less true for all the versions, except for the "invention test" challenge where they have to think of a dish on the spot. They often have all the ingredients they need for their dishes so they are clearly planned in advance. So I don't know how much of the recipes are actually their idea, but they are still the ones who have to cook it right. I expect the Pros to come up with their own ideas, maybe the Celebs get some advice. I'm good with that as the show is so joyful to watch.

Lucky you to have a new world to discover! 😃 Masterchef UK is really enjoyable to watch (amateurs, professionnals and celebrity series alike). I'm very happy with the winner also, but any of the final 3 would have been fine with me. I really loved once again following their journey into cooking and their sheer happiness at discovering that they can actually be good at this.

But the kiss in the rain was indeed at the end of the Boyle episode...

Overall last week's constestants were more solid I think. I was very moved by Melissa saying that she had always left the cooking management to others because of her arm, and that she was discovering new things in herself by being the decision-maker. I have a friend who remained hemiplegic at a young age due to a stroke and it is always a fine line between helping and taking charge. It can be easier for the helper to just do their thing and a lot of communication is needed so that the helped person does not feel put aside.

Ep 4-5 Apparently getting from being a judge on one competition to being a contestant on another one Surprisingly good batch of contestants this week (and hey, I've heard of one! Well, of one's husband, but that's a start). I was sad for I had a look at the constestants line-up for next episodes and OMG, Will Kirk will be there! (fan-girling moment). And I also know Dion Dublin! Finally my time spent watching UK TV shows is paying off!

"Beach Bungalow" Really liked the new design, light and fresh, and the living area was so much better laid out. I laughed that about all the discussion about which direction to lay the scale tiles in the bathroom (including a dad joke from Scott), they were actually put upside down! The toilet seat, just no. Not even for fun (and those things are expensive too). It makes the bathroom look so tacky. The metal firepit on the other hand was gorgeous!

I thought there was a specific forum for Celebrity Masterchef but I can't find it (maybe I'm mixing it up with Professionals). Anyway the new season has arrived, yay! Watched the first episode, as always I don't know the people but there are some new challenges and they are fun. I really liked the street food challenge where they had to guess the ingredients from, and then recreate, a popular international street food dish (Danish meatballs this time, it would be fun if they were more adventurous next time). Masterchef UK is always fun to watch but I like the Celebrity version because the people are here first for fun, and then they catch quickly the competition bug and some of them make impressive progress throughout the series. The humour and light-heartedness is always there but the cooking is serious. So happy!