'The Great British Baking Show's "Botanical Week" Sees One Contestant Finally Get His Flowers

The best part of the new intro sketches isn't that they are funny. (Though Noel eating a plate when told, "Go on, eat the whole thing," is classic vaudeville schtick, and goddesses help me, I cackled.) It's that Alison makes sure they are helpful and informative. After all, "Botanical Week" is not exactly an intuitive theme. The series has only ever done it once previously, back in the BBC Days, and it was done on the exact same week — Week 6 — in Season 7, aka the one where Candice of the Lipstick won. (Congrats if you had National Theme Week replaced by a theme revived from the BBC Days on your Bingo Card.)

Sue and Mel didn't really explain why "Botanical" Week was supposed to mean then, but Alison does here; it's a celebration of all things floral: edible flowers, sure, but also natural flavors from flowering pants (think berries, citrus, and fruits, like apples and pears), plus spices, of which the British have a whole history of conquering the planet to get access to and then not actually putting in their food. No wonder Noel is going to start eating the table out of frustration.

So, with Botanical Week finally properly explained and Noel getting a laugh out of me for once, and not by accident, let's get to the Signature Challenge.