‘The Great British Baking Show’ Fans Bite Back at Ableist Critics
By including a deaf baker on this season, The Great British Baking Show has made an important step toward more inclusivity on the show. Tasha was introduced on the show just like any other player, and her interpreter, Daryl, was brought in as a completely normal, necessary addition. Some vocal fans of the show, however, have treated Tasha with utter disrespect from nearly the start of the season.
This Week’s ‘Great British Baking Show’ Was a Literal Bloodbath
In the latest episode of GBBS, Botanicals Week, Tasha—who usually speaks vocally and communicates with her interpreter via a mixture of signing and verbal speech—spent the back half of the episode signing with British Sign Language (BSL). Some viewers chimed in on social media, criticizing Tasha for signing instead of speaking aloud. She might’ve been doing this, they claimed, because she lost in the technical and was having an overall bad week.
Tasha on bake off
Hates chocolate week so faints
Has a bad technical round and now can’t speak
Knows how to distract, that girl…? #GBBO— Gregg Huish (@HuishGregg) October 31, 2023
Tasha: Oh dear, I'm not doing so well at the moment, will I:
A. Pretend to faint and go home to "recover"
B. Make a drama about pronouncing words despite being about the most eloquent speaker in the tent
C. Come up with some other drama to distract.
I call BS! #GBBO— WhatTheBearSays (@WhatTheBearSays) October 31, 2023
Luckily, some other folks in the GBBS fanbase came to defend Tasha almost immediately. “Very upsetting to see people criticising Tasha for her decision to sign,” one fan shared. “Deaf people are entitled to communicate however they want and feel comfortable, and that doesn’t always need to be one way or another. If it bothers you that you can’t understand, learn BSL.”
Very upsetting to see people criticising Tasha for her decision to sign. Deaf people are entitled to communicate however they want and feel comfortable, and that doesn’t always need to be one way or another. If it bothers you that you can’t understand, learn BSL 👍🏻 #GBBO
— Naomi Smart (@NaomiDoesWords) October 31, 2023
The sheer ignorance shown regarding Tasha and why she is mostly using BSL this episode is absolutely staggering. I implore people who have a similar attitude as this to educate yourself on Deafness/hearing loss before sharing your ill-informed opinion. #GBBO pic.twitter.com/hwPEB0wZon
— s (@s63227385) November 1, 2023
I'd hoped that after such positive deaf representation on screen over the past few years, people would would understand Tasha's choice to turn off her voice and sign. It's sad to look through this hashtag and see nothing has changed. #GBBO
— Charlotte Hyde (@charlhyde) October 31, 2023
In fact, fans didn’t only defend Tasha; they also celebrated the portrayal of BSL in the show. This is the attitude we should all have: It’s great to see signing included in the show, a completely normal aspect of life that in no way shows that Tasha is a bad sport or fishing for sympathy, as some have accused her of doing.
I really love that we're seeing Tasha signing with her voice off in this episode, but I really wish we could see everything she's signing before it cuts to the next shot. Some of us aren't wholly relying on the subtitles! #GBBO
— Charlotte Hyde (@charlhyde) October 31, 2023
Delighted to see Tasha using her preferred communication mode of signing during parts of today's episode of #GBBO.
There are many ways to language and all are valid. Delighted to see more representations of diverse language use on the telly. Thank you for this, Tasha.— Dr Abi Roper (@abracabadger) October 31, 2023
Can fully relate to Tasha. Am pleased that she chose to use sign language when faced with a lot of unpronounceable words. I would do the EXACT same. Please do not judge Tasha for doing this. It’s bloody hard work having to use speech daily #GBBO
— Dr Sarah Powell (She/her) (@sarkpowell) October 31, 2023
A similar conversation happened after a moment in Episode 4. Tasha had to step out of the competition in the middle of the technical competition because of a terrible migraine. Some viewers tried to blame Tasha for dropping out of the round, falsely attributing her headache to the fact that she was struggling to complete a white chocolate-and-blackberry cheesecake. They accused her of “pretending” to be ill.
not tasha pretending she’s ill cos she’s shit at chocolate !!! #GBBO
— ellis (@elliseastwood) October 19, 2023
But GBBS viewers should understand that, per the Sound Relief Hearing Center, there is a link between hearing loss and migraines. There have been several studies connecting the two, reporting that any damage to the inner ear or the nerve that travels from the ear to the brain can result in migraines.
Now, we don’t know if this is what caused Tasha’s migraine—frankly, it’s not really our business. What we do know is that paying attention to our bodies and health is important, and Tasha was right to step out of the challenge. At the time, GBBS made a statement in defense of the contestant on Twitter: “Health first. Always.”
Health first. Always.
We can confirm that Tasha has had to withdraw from Chocolate Week on Bake Off for medical reasons and will return in next week’s show. We can’t wait to see her back in the Tent and feeling much better. ❤️ #GBBO pic.twitter.com/lkvW9o3jeb— British Bake Off (@BritishBakeOff) October 18, 2023
GBBS has yet to comment on the trolls trying to attack Tasha this week, however. In the past, the series has denounced bullying of certain contestants. It would be nice if the official Twitter account could shut these critics down again, giving Tasha the opportunity to sign—and bake—in peace.
Ultimately, Tasha was safe, even after a rough week. Dana was sent home, with Josh winning Star Baker. Tasha has already earned a Paul Hollywood handshake and won Star Baker twice, so even after a bit of a stumble this week, she’s still going strong heading into the back half of the competition.
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