zbornak

I love Mel and Sue more and more with each week. They somehow manage to make constant fun of themselves, the show and the contestants without ever passing into mockery or meanness, and that sets the tone just right for the programme. Also, Mel should shout out in Italian every week. Luis deserved star baker this week but, for me, he is starting to veer towards that not entirely endearing Holly/John/Frances role of faux-modest perfectionist who is constantly surprised by his own success. I didn't like the way his rolls couldn't roll either, but that's just me being picky. Richard the Builder was as strong and steady as ever this week, and I'd say he's a definite pick for the top three at this point. I was so very disappointed to see Kate trip at the last hurdle, in what was probably the tensest moment of series 5 so far. She had an excellent week and seems to have carved out a spot near the top of the group for herself. My dearest Nancy showed the first flaw in her steely Northern armour this week with her poor showstopper, but I think I had near impure dreams about her Full English Stromboli last night. Be still my beating heart. Martha and Diana were as charming as ever but they were undoubtedly in the middle of the pack this week. I must say that I was a little taken aback by Mary's "surprise, surprise" remark about Chetna deciding to use "a lot of spices" in her showstopper, but that's probably just me being an overly-sensitive Guardian reader. Chetna doesn't seem to be getting as much airtime as the other contestants, which makes me question how long she has left in the tent. Iain the Wilding made a bit of a surprise comeback this week, I not so sure whether he can maintain the momentum next week though. Jordan has gone, and it was about time. Flamboyant? Somewhat. Polished? Definitely not. I'm glad Norman lives to fight another day. He really does need to step up his game and break free of this safe-borderline-boring narrative the judges have saddled him with, or it's curtains for him. Pesto is not exotic, Norm.

May I present Kate Bush and her rollerskating dunces?

Debbie Harry's solo work is generally underrated, but her most recent solo album seemed to pass by completely unnoticed. The lead single, Two Times Blue, was terrific. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wHBufAwOQ4

Enzowar seems like a nice guy but his use of shop-bought fondant could have been justified if his bake was complex enough to warrant it, but it really wasn't. He only made one type of biscuit and they were under baked at that. The judges made the right decision again this week. Jordan's time seems to be running out. His signature biscuits were over baked and his technical challenge was average, although his showstopper this week was oddly charming if lacking finesse. Norman didn't have a great week, it seems like his brave choice in the first round saw him through. I don't think we'll be seeing much more of Iain the Wildling, but I'd like to see him stick around for personal reasons. Diana also had a shaky week. Her bakes thus far have been steady, yet unremarkable. Richard the Builder deserved star baker although Luis was not far behind. Both of their designs in the showstopper were excellent, even if I'm not much of a fan of these construction rounds. Martha is lovely and very talented, and I do hope she avoids the rather vicious backlash Ruby saw last year. Nancy remains my favourite.

The Finest UK No. 2s of the 1990s Confide In Me - Kylie Minogue (Sep 1994) Torn - Natalie Imbruglia (Nov 1998) Groove Is In The Heart - Deee-Lite (Aug 1990) Finally - CeCe Peniston (Mar 1992) Let's Talk About Sex - Salt-N-Pepa (Sep 1991) Justified and Ancient - The KLF ft. Tammy Wynette (Jan 1992) Outside - George Michael (Oct 1998) Justify My Love - Madonna (Dec 1990) Lovefool - The Cardigans (May 1997) Tom's Diner - Suzanne Vega (Jul 1990) Rhythm of the Night - Corona (Sep 1994) Stop - Spice Girls (Mar 1998) The Sign - Ace of Base (Mar 1994) Black Velvet - Alannah Miles (Apr 1990)

I barely liked ice cream until I moved to Italy, but now I'm borderline dependent.

A strong espresso first thing for de-zombification purposes, then a steady stream of milky black tea throughout the day. I try to get a camomile or valerian before bed.

Coke Zero is my drug of choice.

Nigella recently tweeted that a new show and book are coming in Autumn 2015. I'm curious to find out what the theme is going to be. She did hint at something Scandinavian-themed a while back, but I don't think the Italian-inspired Nigellissima was a successful as her previous books, so perhaps it'll be something a bit more varied like Kitchen or How To Eat.

"Give me my pocketbook, I'm leaving."

Chalk me up as another who is happy to see this show return. As a Brit living abroad, the GBBO induces a peculiarly pleasant strand of homesickness. There seems to be a nice group of bakers this year, with some of them looking very polished indeed. Nancy means business, doesn't she? Her mini-guillotine was magnificent and she won me over as soon as she decided to blitz the failed nuts and purport that it was her plan all along. Straight-talking Norman seems like a strong contender, as does the builder and the youngest-ever-contestant whose names presently escape me. I can't see the bearded Wilding or the overly eccentric guy sticking around for much longer. I wasn't entirely sorry to see Claire go, she just didn't seem to be very good.