Gosh, I found that first episode unusually awful. So fucking LOUD. I think it would have been better to ease the new judges in for an ep or so, or even a week, before bringing in Jamie Oliver. I felt for Jean-Christophe, he looked a little crestfallen to be superceded by this "world famous chef" seconds after his own arrival. All the hyping up of the contestants, all the huge teeth showing head-thrown back laughing stuff from Sophia was really offputting. I didn't need lengthy intro packages on multiple contestants, all of whom ended up featured in the edit anyway. Having the first "best dish" get not only the only immunity pin for the season AND the Jamie Oliver UK trip was too much. It was all just too much.
I loved Poh, and Andy, and Jean-Christophe "going rogue" and offering genuine advice to the contestants. But for the first time ever I fastforwarded through a lot of the judging and the final stages of the cookoff - usually (and only in the last few series) that starts for me a few weeks in. I just kept pausing and thinking, I hate this, and I don't care, and can I even be bothered? It was really an offputting start to a season for me.