Great British Bake Off Episode Three: Should Norman Have Been Sent Home For Keeping Things Simple?

"For me this is very exotic!" Norman dryly informed us on The Great British Bake. What was he boldly including in his load bread filling? Pesto.

Take a seat and calm your nerves dear readers. Things got wild as Bread Week arrived for our 10 remaining bakers.

From the day and hour the profiles of the Class of 2014 arrived we've had a soft spot for Norman.

Having joined the Merchant Navy at the age of 19, the now-retired Scot revealed that he had avoided following in the footsteps of his father and brother who were both bakers. There was something 'full circle' about seeing the lovable father of three embracing his heritage and now doing what was in his blood.

Five series in and we've come to have high expectations from our amateur bakers. With each series the recipes got bolder and the creations braver. The result? An unhappy, and very traditional, Norman.

Simplicity. A word now hanging over Norman like a dark cloud. Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood are going to need a thesaurus soon, because 'simple' has already worn itself out by the end of our third week.

Last night's signature challenge required 12 identical rye rolls, each cooked to perfection. It came as no surprise when our Norman unashamedly informed Paul, Mr Bread himself, that he would, naturally, be keeping things plain.

Despite quite heavy criticism of this last week, Norman pressed on, determined to stick to his guns. The boldness, ahem, paid off as he impressed both Paul and Mary - who may as well have had a week off - with his caraway and sultana rolls. If Norman can't do simple in the signature dish, they may as well have sent him packing last week.

That being said, it was with bated breath we watched as the technical challenge left our heroes flustered following Paul's teasing "be patient" advice.

Paul's ciabatta recipe was not for messing with. A win for Norman as he evaded criticism and found himself ranked fourth. The judges had marked his card though; his luck at simplicity being key had been noted. Gulp.

There was nowhere to hide in the showstopper. "I'm no Heston Blumenthal" he reminded us as he dealt with the drama of having to include a filling in his loaf bread.

There was a sense of a last hurrah in the air as Norman explained his choice of "exotic" pesto and chicken filling. It almost felt like he was in on the joke, having one last laugh at his own reputation.

Paul and Mary had a decision to make. And it was far from simple.

Some viewers took to social media to criticise the result, claiming that Jordan's efforts in each challenge had been greater, and as he took more risks the chance of failures increased. Sadly, they did increase. Norman may have been lucky to have survived, but should he be punished for sticking to his guns and providing top quality bakes, even if they do fall into the traditional or simple category?

The Great British Bake Off is inspiring many of us to get back in the kitchen. Men, women and children are dashing off to the shops to pick up the ingredients so they too can tackle a Hollywood recipe. If they excel at a simpler bake and enjoy the more traditional ingredients, should that mean they are failing somewhere?

On the other hand, this is a competition. Standards are high and everyone has to tackle new challenges. Norman is already at risk of being left behind, and cannot rely on hiding behind his fondness for the simpler things. Next week will undoubtedly be make or break. With desserts on the menu, simplicity will not be what the judging duo are looking for.

"I think they're just a little bit simple," Mary commented on one of the rye rolls she tasted last night. "That kind of reflects my personality a wee bit then," Norman replied. You couldn't make it up. Never change, Norman.

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