12/05/2022

Freddie shares with Lily somewhat reluctantly his plans for taking more responsibility at Lower Loxley. He doesn’t know whether to believe Lily’s encouraging enthusiasm, or that she’s patronising him as usual. His first step will be to shadow Trent the Orangery manager, which Lily insists really is a good idea. They’re interrupted by Chelsea, who informs them she got the job. Lily reckons this will be the first test for Freddie’s three-point management technique. She’s proved right when Chelsea comes to Freddie with a request to modify her uniform, having been refused permission by Trent. Freddie ends up essentially agreeing to her request. Lily suggests Freddie’s got ‘approachable’ nailed, but what’s happened to ‘firm and authoritative’? Jill asks Fallon whether she’s considered the judges for her perfect pudding competition. Fallon disappoints her by declaring she’s put out a request for children to do it – for a fresh eye and new perspective. Lee joins them and asks whether Henry can be considered. Fallon informs him he’s too late; the last judging spot has just been filled. Lee’s gutted for Henry. They’d only just seen the call-out for judges and he knows Henry will be terribly disappointed. Fallon relents and increases the judge number to four. Henry can be Chair! When Ed discovers this, he can’t understand why Henry should take precedence over Keira, who’s older and better placed to be a chief judge. He tackles bewildered Fallon with some force. The boss’s son gets special treatment – it’s clearly favouritism. Fallon hasn’t heard the last of this.