Competitive Baking Part 2

So there  I was suffering withdrawal symptoms from the Great British Bake-Off and immobilised at home and I came across a link to Den Store Bagedyst, which is the Danish version. Apparently Bake Off is going global - who knew?

 

Actually if I could have got the link to the Swedish one to work I would have watched that instead since I would have had a chance of understanding some of what was said, but I couldn't, so the Danish one it was. And in fact the program is so formulaic that it hardly matters, it's easy enough to follow.

 

It was interesting to see how closely it resembled the British Original, but in one respect there was a radical difference. There were still  three finalists in the last program, but instead of all three competing to the bitter end as in the UK, in Denmark they lost a competitor after day one. Now in the UK, when someone is told it's their time to go they generally manage a brave albeit watery smile, thank the judges and presenters for a wonderful time and give the remaining contestants a big hug while wishing them luck.

 

And here is where we have the parting of the UK/Danish ways. The unlucky Christian, who was the one to be given the chop half way through the Danish final, didn't take his elimination quite that well. I might go so far as to say he was upset. He got up and strode out of the baking marquee swearing loudy and angrily and you didn't need to be able to speak Danish to understand exactly what he was saying. There was a lake with a pier just outside and he flung himself so energetically to the end of the pier that I rather feared he was going to throw himself off it, so great were his anger and sense of injustice. (In fairness, he was a bit of a diva, and remains the only person I have ever seen bake whilst wearing a suit under a pinny).

 

After that Nana and (another) Christian fought it out for the title by baking a wedding cake. And while I do think the wrong person won, yet again the loser, instead of  doing the British thing of shaking hands, smiling and muttering something about what a great experience it had all been, spent the remainder of the program with a face like thunder, generally sending out vibes that said the Danish equivalent of 'I was robbed'. Sadly, however true that may or may not have been, the ungracious behaviour left a bit of a sour taste. Maybe we Brits are just too nice.