Each week, Northern Slant are preparing to bring you the latest run down of Britain’s most loved baking show by self-confessed GBBO addict Jayne McGlaughlin.

Week 1 of the Bake Off is over and it definitely didn’t disappoint. From slightly disastrous technical challenges to Noel’s questionable fashion choices, it is certainly back with a bang. They decided to use the opening to address the awkwardness of Prue’s tweet last year when she revealed the winner before the final aired through a ‘Back to the Future’ sketch. But, the question on everyone’s lips and in everyone’s memes, was why Prue was wearing a necklace made of Kerplunk? Answers on a postcard please.

Despite Week 1 usually being cake week (and for those who know me, I am not a massive fan of change), we were treated to biscuit week to kick off Series 9. Biscuit week is usually hit or miss for many of the bakers and this week certainly wasn’t any different.

The Signature Bake saw the 12 new bakers attempt to make 24 speciality biscuits, which were also meant to pay homage to them and their home region. This in itself feels like a lot of information to cram into 24 identical biscuits – or in Ruby’s case, 25 because she’s ‘bad at maths’ – but the bakers certainly gave it their best shot.

There was a nod to the Lake District with Terry’s ginger shortbread with (melted and unfinished) sheep, Yorkshire lime ginger nuts from Luke and some psychedelic biscuits filled with mango and chilli jam from Antony. Antony may not have received a Hollywood handshake for his efforts but he did get a Fielding handshake which is nearly the same thing, right? We also had Imelda from Co Tyrone who paid tribute to Northern Ireland with her biscuits which were a nod to 15s. Briony from Bristol also made shortbread which was a hit with the judges and I think it’s fair to say that she has already positioned herself as a front runner. Oh, we just love the competitiveness of it all, don’t we?

The dreaded Technical Challenge consisted of making Wagon Wheels, or ‘wheeling wagons’ as Star Baker Manon called them. Although they appeared to be straightforward, as with all Paul Hollywood Technical Challenges, perceptions are deceiving. This sparked somewhat of a debate with the people I was watching with as to how to best cover marshmallow and jam filled biscuits in chocolate. But, as Imelda rubbed chocolate onto her Wagon Wheels with her hands, I think we all agreed that sometimes an old fashioned spoon is the winner. Despite good efforts from some bakers, the wheels well and truly came off for Terry and Imelda.

Then, just when we thought that we had got to know the new bakers quite well, the Show Stopper Challenge was to create a 3D biscuit selfie of themselves somewhere memorable. Please imagine having to spend 4 hours baking and icing your own face. It also really made me question the excitement levels of my life as my memorable place and selfie would probably be me drinking coffee and putting it on my Instagram story, but just as our new French friend Manon would say, c’est la vie.

The image of Terry sitting at his bench painting his face onto a brandy snap like he was Leonardo da Vinci painting the Mona Lisa, was a sight to behold. However, poor Ruby was unable to finish her Showstopper which was, ironically, her finishing the London Marathon with a big FINISH sign at the top.

I am also unsure of when exactly I became a qualified architect but my ‘well informed’ sofa judging had me declaring ‘there is no way the structure of that is strong enough to withhold the weight of that biscuit if you ask me,’ but rest assured, no-one did ask me.

After the flurry and the hurrah of the first week, we had to say goodbye to the lovely Imelda from Northern Ireland and Manon was rightly crowned the first Star Baker. As for the moment of the week? Well for me it was when everyone was frantically trying to finish their Signature Bakes and Karen just sat at the end of her bench with her finished biscuits and half an hour to go, whipped out her packed lunch and tucked into her cheese and onion without a care in the world. In a world of Terry style stress, we should all be a Karen.