I found this during the Pandemic and it's an escape for me during this awful 2020. I'm on S.1 and I have to say that the premise is familiar, the bakers are fine, but the judges are MEAN! I can't stand the smugness of Kerry Vincent and couldn't believe when said "This is the moment when you shut your mouth" to a contestant! Dan Lepard has also been awful as well. They get too personal and it's uncalled for. The BBO has a "niceness" and encourage the contestants that makes the you feel good and these two Australian judges fail 100% to bring that to the viewers. I'm looking forward to S.2 and beyond when these judges are replaced. Good riddance!
7 Reviews
Intermittently great - Seasons 2 & 3 great. Seasons 1 & 4 poor
colhapablap13 April 2018
I was very slow to start watching the original Great British Bake Off, but was soon a big fan of the mix of silly humour and absence of manufactured drama and spitefulness.
I started watching the Great Australian Bake Off after running out of old GBBOs; I was disappointed that Season 1 of the GABO chose to emulate the over-the-top drama and manufactured controversies that are standard in pretty much every other show of this type - it seems the producers decided to ditch the very things that made the original British Bake Off such a success.
Fortunately everything changed for seasons 2 and 3 - the entirely new judging and presenting teams were a massive improvement, and the whole of these 2 seasons managed to combine the charm of the British original with a distinctively Australian flavour.
I'm still watching Season 4 but am disinclined to even bother finishing it - while the presenters and judges are largely the same, it appears that whoever is producing it urged the contestants to pick a personal characteristic and just keep on pushing it forward at every opportunity - we have the contestant who is a scientist - she approaches everything from a SCIENCE perspective, did you hear? SCIENCE, we have the lol random dancing dentist, we have the Big Macho Beardy Bear guy who is really a gentle giant, we have incredibly easily amused woman who gurns her way through every minor excitement and so on.
It's like they have all been instructed to turn their personal characteristics up 1000% and make themselves forcibly memorable.
I checked and there was a new producer for this season who has previously worked on similar US show, so I strongly suspect what we have here is a bad case of new broom syndrome.
Hopefully things will return to normal if there is a Season 5.
I started watching the Great Australian Bake Off after running out of old GBBOs; I was disappointed that Season 1 of the GABO chose to emulate the over-the-top drama and manufactured controversies that are standard in pretty much every other show of this type - it seems the producers decided to ditch the very things that made the original British Bake Off such a success.
Fortunately everything changed for seasons 2 and 3 - the entirely new judging and presenting teams were a massive improvement, and the whole of these 2 seasons managed to combine the charm of the British original with a distinctively Australian flavour.
I'm still watching Season 4 but am disinclined to even bother finishing it - while the presenters and judges are largely the same, it appears that whoever is producing it urged the contestants to pick a personal characteristic and just keep on pushing it forward at every opportunity - we have the contestant who is a scientist - she approaches everything from a SCIENCE perspective, did you hear? SCIENCE, we have the lol random dancing dentist, we have the Big Macho Beardy Bear guy who is really a gentle giant, we have incredibly easily amused woman who gurns her way through every minor excitement and so on.
It's like they have all been instructed to turn their personal characteristics up 1000% and make themselves forcibly memorable.
I checked and there was a new producer for this season who has previously worked on similar US show, so I strongly suspect what we have here is a bad case of new broom syndrome.
Hopefully things will return to normal if there is a Season 5.
Maggie Beer & Matt Moran Version Only
robynejames8 March 2020
I've only watched the version with Matt & Maggie as judges. I hear that the original version on Channel 9 was not so good, with at least 1 nasty judge. The jokes from the hosts on the newer Lifestyle channel are typical "dad jokes" but I don't watch the the show for the jokes, so that's ok. I love the friendship and eagerness to help each other shown by the contestants. They each want to win, but they also want each other to do well. No fake drama. I love it. I'm nearly finished the last season and I plan to go watch the British version next.
Horrible
chiesparza22 February 2020
I decided to give this a try after watching the British version, which I adore. This one, however, is horrid. I couldn't even finish watching the first season. The contestants are ill behaved and rude. The judges aren't any better. I'm going back to only watching the GBBO. Don't waste your time on this show!
Like watching paint dry
angie_hodson26 March 2018
The latest series that has just finished March 2018, was so boring.
The two so called comedian compares are painful to watch.
Will definatley give the next season a miss, if there is one.
The producers need to take a look at the British version, so much better.
Such a shame:)
The producers need to take a look at the British version, so much better.
Such a shame:)
The poor cousin of British Bake Off
silpa-parmar1 July 2022
After becoming absolutely OBSESSED with British Bake Off and bingeing all available seasons, I moved onto the Australian version and it was ordinary at best.
The two comedians hosting are entirely not funny (borderline cringeworthy), the contestants lack character and Maggie Verjuice Beer and Matt Moran don't add anything whatsoever.
Some interesting challenges but otherwise not worth the time.
The two comedians hosting are entirely not funny (borderline cringeworthy), the contestants lack character and Maggie Verjuice Beer and Matt Moran don't add anything whatsoever.
Some interesting challenges but otherwise not worth the time.
Great British bake off copycat
vwgjqbp11 November 2023
I'm literally so disappointed I've never seen judges and horses. Try so hard to be the great British bake off presenters and the bakers aren't even that good. The Show Stoppers are choice of it. I just cakes in the window like if you watch The Great British Bake Off you know what I'm on about The Great British Bake Off showstoppers is so much better than the Australian Ones. And like if you're going to try be The Great British Bake Off so bad then do it in a tent and do it during the daytime because other than that it you're just a baking show that is nowhere near as good as The Great British Bake Off, because you're just an off cut?
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