THE CURRENT SERIES of The Great British Bake Off has succeeded in providing a litany of stars already – shoutout to Kim Joy, Terry and Dan.
— no context bake off (@nocontextgbbo)
The contestant truly capturing the hearts of the nation though? Rahul. He bakes to make friends, for God sake.
Rahul has consistenly impressed judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith with his flavour combinations and his creative skills when it comes to his bakes. He’s been voted Star Baker twice, and has received numerous Hollywood Handshakes over the course of the series (unsurprising, given that he’s been doling them out.)
However, a lot of viewers have taken issue with how Rahul reacts during the judging process – myself included.
Why does Rahul make faces like he’s about to be curb stomped when the judges try his bakes? #GBBO
— Fionnghoula Bones (@FionnualaJay)
People began to find his nervous disposition fake rather than endearing. Why the song and dance when Rahul is evidently such a great baker?
Well, perhaps his profuse apologising and head-in-hand-holding is genuine? He previously told the Radio Times he had to be accosted in to applying for the show by a colleague, and that he himself was surprised to make it to the tent.
“He kept sending me the application link, until I said to him that I have started applying,” he said.
I think pretty much everybody I know will be surprised. They know I bake, but not to the scale that I could enter the tent. Colleagues I knew during my PhD don’t have a clue that I can bake. Back in India I didn’t bake either. All of them and actually myself are surprised that I made it into the tent.”
One Twitter user, Nicole Fevre, further highlighted Rahul’s position.
“People saying Rahul’s behaviour is fake modesty have most likely never understood what’s it’s like to have constant anxiety and low self-esteem,” she said. “I see a lot of my own behaviour in Rahul and it’s so insulting to see people laugh about it and claim it’s all an act.”
People with anxiety might get on your nerves and annoy you and perhaps even exhaust you at the best of times but trust me it’s so much harder to be the one constantly dealing with it and the stigma of mental illness on top of that w/ people claiming it’s all an act for popularity
— nikki (@_nicolelefevre)
A fair point – one often not considered by keyboard and couch warriors alike.
