'The Great British Bake Off's Japanese Week Sparks Controversy

'The Great British Bake Off's Japanese Week Sparks Controversy

Explore the background of 'The Great British Bake Off's Japanese Week Sparks Controversy in our detailed breakdown.

Folks were a little peeved to see that in just four episodes, three BAME (Black, Asian, Minority, and ethnic) contestants were eliminated from the program. 

Fans were none too pleased when Sura Selvarajah, a 31-year-old pharmacy worker, was booted from the program. Sura, who rocks a hijab, was let go after her white chocolate party cake was deemed too "raw." Judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood weren't keen on it and let her go from the competition.

In the show's previous episodes, Makbul was also sent packing and before him, the Durham-based Loriea was also deemed too weak of a baker to persist in the series. 

Audiences said that they are noticing a "trend" in this newest season and that there's a clear double standard as "Lottie, Rowan, and Linda have been worse over a number of weeks and survived."

While it's difficult to judge the flavor and texture of baked goods from the comfort of one's own home, there are still a bunch of folks who believed that Sura, Makbul, and Loriea's wares had a lot more to offer than their white counterparts, and began flooding Twitter with accusations that the show's producers are racist and intentionally letting go of contestants who aren't white.

It doesn't help that Sura was a fan favorite early on too, and that there were a large number of people rooting for her to get deep into the competition.

Although there are a lot of folks who are sincerely contesting the program's discriminatory leanings, there was some blowback from other viewers who simply said that this isn't the case.

Many social media users pointed out the fact that Sura made a string of nigh-inedible baked goods, including a "bad brownie" and a "raw ... cake," not to mention the fact she came in seventh place in another challenge. 

So is the show actually racist? Or are people just upset that their favorite bakers aren't exactly meeting the judge's criteria?

Other people thought that the "racist undertones" started in the show from the get go and don't even apply to the baking itself, but are deeply-rooted in the conversational exchanges between the judges and the contestants.

Elena Rostova
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Elena Rostova

Elena Rostova holds a Master's degree in Public Health Journalism. She covers groundbreaking medical research, holistic wellness trends, mental health awareness, and nutritional science.