Holiday Baking Championship (2014– ) User Reviews

Generally very good....but season three was an odd one.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 25 December 2020]

"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 watch for Jesse and Duff

[DragonFireBreather · 9/10 · 23 December 2021]

Definitely the best baking championship out of the bunch. Jesse Palmer is their BEST host hands down. I'm not sure if he'll be back next season because of his new hosting gig at the Bachelor... but I sure hope he does comes back! I can't imagine HBC without Jesse, NO I can't!!! Duff is cool, he's a good dude. I like Nancy and Carla was a nice addition after the disappearance of Loraine Pascale.. but I do miss Loraine.

This was a pretty good season, the top three were definitely all the best bakers. I do wish Marilyn would of stayed longer, she was so entertaining and endearing. But Adam winning was the absolute right thing. He was the best baker there with Jody and Sabrina tying for the second best. Sabrina not covering the the tuxedo cake in black was her undoing and Jody's leaning Christmas tree did him as well. Adams cake was flawless... he was always consistent on his bakes. Very good ending for the holiday season!

But I hope we get a season 9 with Jesse Palmer... he's the BEST and I cannot imagine another host in his place.

Enjoyable show, annoying judges.

[timb58 · 7/10 · 15 December 2021]

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.

Bobby Dean

[LtlHippo · 6/10 · 26 November 2018]

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.

Like the new season so far

[karleeannatkinson · 6/10 · 8 December 2020]

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.

Waste of Time

[dtassell-27431 · 1/10 · 20 December 2023]

Frustrated because they don't take into account all the items the bakers have made through the whole season. This season a baker went home because he made a mistake once. A baker is never in the bottom and still loses?? Really?? More than anything Nancy couldn't be more rude and annoying. I can handle Duff as he's worked with kids. He knows how to be kind. He also is more balanced. This past season he was gone due to illness and I felt like it was unbalanced with the two women. Some of the things the bakers made looked horrible and they stated it was beautiful. Seriously?? I wouldn't never have bought that in a shop. I would have dumped it in the trash. They have already decided in the beginning who they want to win and you could never convince me otherwise. I'm done watching.

Same Old Food Network

[dtdenver-987-925546 · 2/10 · 29 November 2018]

I tried this show starting with Season 1 but was quickly turned off by the obnoxious CHARACTERS they cast. I guess it's a trope that gay men are swishy and cry all the time? Pretty insulting. When they didn't eliminate Erin for the worst baking of the episode, it became clear they had already decided she would win - and we were going to be stuck with her insufferable tweeness for the duration. Do the producers feed them corny, stupid lines to say in their interviews? Because no normal people really talk like that, right? Also it's a mystery to me why people would go on a baking championship who: Don't make cookies, don't make pies, have a severe nut allergy, and have never worked with common ingredients. That's just 8 people A YEAR, Food Network, and you can't find capable bakers? Maybe you should import them from the UK.

Same boring show every season

[skilletcycledown · 1/10 · 28 November 2018]

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.

Cheating

[da_gillespie · 1/10 · 26 November 2023]

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.

Season 6's Winner has already been crowned

[hmb-51778 · 1/10 · 13 November 2019]

Like so many of these shows - the winner is literally crowned in the first week or so. A baker who should have gone home (her attempt at a a recipe THEY DID NOT ASK HER TO MAKE did not collapsed in on itself) was kept and by the second week won both contests. They literally can't seem to make it obviously a forgone conclusion.

But this isn't just true of this show. I've stopped watching several other shows on this network because it's not any fun investing in a show that has zero surprises.

Please, don't do this.

Such a waste of time

[tiffanie_says_stay_in_your_lane · 1/10 · 23 November 2022]

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.

2020 season I can't watch

[julieellen-85026 · 1/10 · 15 November 2020]

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