The Great British Bake Off spoilers follow.
The Great British Bake Off aired a new twist, with two bakers departing the tent during the second week.
After last week’s (September 24) episode, in which no contestants were eliminated, the Channel 4 show returned on Tuesday (October 1) with a full cast, as they were tasked with impressing judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith.
The theme of the week was Biscuits, with the group first being tasked to bake a batch of Viennese Whirls. This was followed by a difficult Technical Challenge, in which Mint biscuits were the order of the day, before a closely fought Showstopper Challenge.
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During the second challenge, the series saw its first departure, as Jeff – who was absent from last week’s instalment – elected to withdraw from the show due to health concerns, with host Alison Hammond consoling him as he left.
“This time around, it just wasn’t right for me,” Jeff said following his withdrawal. “I really enjoyed it. Everybody has been wonderful – there’s a great group of bakers there. I didn’t make it very far, but there you go. It was wonderful, thank you very much.”
Alison, who hosts the show alongside Noel Fielding, remarked that Jeff’s “Brooklyn energy would be missed”, adding that she “really liked him” and the whole team was “wishing him well.”
After the Showstopper, in which Sumayah was named the Star Baker, Hazel was confirmed as the first contestant to be formally eliminated from the series, with the star remarking that it didn’t come as a surprise.
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“I did expect it – all my bakes have gone wrong. Maybe I won’t bake puppet theatres anymore. I’m not crying – they’re making me cry!” she surmised, with Mike adding that she would be missed.
In addition to the aforementioned exits, it proved to be a dramatic episode overall after Illiyin collapsed following Jeff’s departure, with Dylan also taking a tumble later in the episode.
The Great British Bake Off and its spinoff Bake Off: An Extra Slice both air on Channel 4 in the UK. In the US, it’s known as The Great British Baking Show, and streams on Netflix.
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.