Ruby Tandoh, a finalist on the latest series of The Great British Bake Off, has spoken out against what she describes as an extraordinary amount of bitterness and bile directed at contestants, particularly female bakers. Writing in The Guardian, Tandoh said she was surprised by the nastiness generated by the show, which she described as a 'pastel-coloured explosion of flour, bunting and puns'.
Tandoh said the criticism ranged from gently cynical to downright obnoxious, and noted an increasing degree of personal vitriol and misogyny as the series went on. She said female finalists were criticised for being too meek, too confident, too thin, too domestic, too smiley, or too taciturn. She also referenced Raymond Blanc's comments deriding 'female tears' on the show, and said Kimberley's self-assurance had been rebranded as smugness and cockiness.
Tandoh said she was tired of defending herself against accusations of flirting with Paul Hollywood or emotionally manipulating the judges. She insisted the judging was always fair, and said much of the criticism was gender-specific. She also pointed to comments on bakers' weights and debates on which finalist was most 'shaggable'.
Tandoh argued that food has become divided and gendered, torn between the serious sport of haute cuisine and the world of women pottering around in home kitchens. She said she had apologised for her bakes and for apologising, and had shied away from the more decorative side of baking for fear of being dismissed as silly. She concluded that she was done with apologising.
