User reviews

"Holiday Baking Championship" is a Food Network series that has been aired every year for the last seven years. It consists of both professional bakers and home bakers competing until one ultimately is crowned the winner of the season. And, like the title of the show suggests, it's about holidays...particularly Christmas and a bit about Thanksgiving and Hanukkah. Each week, one baker is declared the winner (though they actually win nothing until the final round) and a loser who is sent home.

I have enjoyed the show but have noticed something. In season three, I noticed that the judges were NOT getting along well. In particular, Nancy seemed to disagree with everyone....but more often with Lorraine. My daughter and I definitely noticed some tension here....though in later seasons it looked as if all fences were mended and everyone appeared happier. I really PREFER it that way and consider season three an aberration, though I did see a bit of this in season two as well. Still enjoyable...and more so when the judges seemed more unified and less argumentative.

I dug through the entire "cast and crew" section of this page and couldn't find anything about the writers. I know these shows are supposed to be "unscripted" but I'm sure Jesse isn't making up his bad puns on the fly. There has to be a script for the introduction he does in every episode, and it's weird that the writers aren't listed here. Maybe they want to protect the illusion that this is all spontaneous?

I like the show overall but I do think it's a bit unfair that the final results aren't cumulative - someone who has done outstanding work, week after week, should not lose to a less-talented person due to merely having one small mistake during the final competition. The best person doesn't always win, unfortunately.

Now that lorraine pascale is gone I find it much more like a baking contest vs just eating treats and giggling on tv. I just found her annoying.

Don't care for Bobby Dean hosting. I never warmed up to Duff ever since I saw him baking something years ago and licking his fingers and then serving what he was making. Not sure if the animosity with Lorraine and Nancy is real or just for show. Adds nothing. I did like the later host a lot better than Bobby.

Please stop showing the judges bizarre way of eating, especially Duff. He looks like he's in pain or afraid to mess up his lipstick, very disconcerting.

The contestants show amazing talent and creativity.

Nothing else to add but the form requires more characters Wow , I think the counter is off because I am definitely over the minimum characters.

They do not judge fair. Not only does the undeserving person usually win... but the judges openly contradict their decisions.

The only explanation is the show being rigged. I literally watched a "Finale" where the judges chose the most interesting design and said her baking tasted terrible. This is a freaking food show.

The only way this show can be redeemed is if they stop rewarding stories and crying. One person cried every episode, was almost eliminated twice, but won the whole thing. In comparison, another chef stayed strong, worked hard, and made desserts that were well liked but because he didn't cry or tell some stupid story.

Do not watch this show.

Yuck. I don't know why the judges pick certain contestants to just obsess over. They will absolutely miss the mark and the judges just go on and on about how they are so amazing as if you should look past all the major flaws due to a huge bias. The host is also like the cheesiest guy you'll ever see. It's like the high school quarterback who burnt out 20 years ago trying desperately to stay relevant. I could go on this show with no experience and make it further than trained chefs since the judges obviously have no sense of taste and are blind to all flaws if they like the contestant. Such a shame how downhill food network has gone.

This is the same boring show re-skinned each season of the yea with the same cast trying to call it something different. There is nothing new behind it why it still airs and is funded is beyond me.

This was the most boring competition I have ever seen. These people act like they never baked anything in their life. One of them owned a bakery! He was struggling just like the home bakers. You can't tell me this wasn't staged to a certain degree. They were confused about how to use the ingredients that were given to them, and their presentation was awful. They looked disappointed when they had to make a Hanukkah dessert - I think it was babka. I understand it's a Christmas show, but it's only fair to be inclusive of other holidays! I'm not even Jewish and I was offended by their reaction. Only one person made it correctly. I hope he wins, because everyone else had such a lack of skills and creativity. I feel like cooking and baking competition programs are overdone anyway, but this one had no excitement whatsoever. It's worth skipping.

Where do you even begin? The judges (except Carla Hall) are downright terrible to the point of being unwatchable.

If I have to look at that pretentious prick Duff Goldman bugging out his eyes as he shovels food down his gullet one more time I may hurl something at the TV. Nancy Fuller's drunken grandma routine has never been charming and why her opinions on any food are worth paying attention to is a mystery I shall hope never to solve. It's never clear what their judging criteria actually is, as they judge some contestants very harshly, so much so that they are blowing up things that are not even mistakes, or picking on overly nebulous details, to make it sound like something is a failure even if it was well baked and tasted good to them, and was visibly well constructed. Then other times they are waxing rhapsodic trying to convince viewers that someone else's sloppy simplistic work is actually brilliant, both in terms of decoration and the quality of the baking when visually you can see the work and the product is not appetizing. They place complex sophisticated baking skills on the same level as simplistic, limited abilities when the producers have taken a shine to someone or they're trying to make a star out of them. They so frequently contradict themselves that there's no rhyme or reason to who they pick as a winner by the end of the show. The usually pick someone whose work left a lot to be desired for most of the season, and then they never explain their decisions in a way that make anyone take them seriously. The hosts solemnly reciting the flaws in a cake as if they're an oncologist telling their patient the cancer is terminal, is such deep cringe the producers should be ashamed. Fire everyone and start fresh or just cancel these shows altogether. They are an embarrassment for all involved.

Where is Lorraine? Where are comfortable friendly gentle contestants? Not everything needs to be a frenzy especially right now.