The Great British Bake Off 2018: lucky escapes and a favourite four - how dessert week split the tent
It was Dessert Week in the tent, which meant cracking meringue, melting chocolate and sloppy blancmange. But where was the missing baker? Had he been carried off into the Welford Park woods by a well-endowed squirrel?
Here are all the talking points from episode four…
No elimination was a shock twist
Well, we didn’t see that coming. At the top of the show, presenter Sandi Toksvig announced that baker Terry - he of the artisanal hobbies and crumb-catching moustache - was poorly so had been allowed the week off. The other eight bakers agreed to have an elimination as normal, before Terry’s return next week.
When it came to the crunch, though, judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith decided it would be unjust to eliminate anyone in Terry’s absence. As Noel Fielding announced: “The person who’s going home this week is… nobody! The judges felt it wouldn't be fair to send someone home with Terry not being here. But the downside is, there’s a strong possibility that two people might be going home next week.”
Was this a slight swizz? Enjoyable as this episode was, there was a definite sense of anti-climax - almost as if the previous 75 minutes hadn’t meant much. However, there is precedent for it in Bake Off history.
The last time something similar happened was back in series five when Diana “Freezergate” Beard left the competition due to illness and nobody was eliminated the next week. Series four featured 13 bakers, meaning a double elimination in week three. Series three’s John Whaite injured his finger and couldn’t complete the showstopper, so the judges decided it would be unfair to eliminate anyone and sent two bakers home the following week. Double eliminations were also a feature of the first two series, when there were fewer episodes.
Lucky escapes for Karen and Briony
Breathing the biggest sighs of relief were Briony Williams and Karen Wright, who were slugging it out to survive after both having a stinker of a week.
Bristolian Briony’s Treacle Tart Roulade lost its spiral and suffered leakage, then her marbled chocolate sphere melted into a mess. Briony seemed resigned to going home, admitting “I’m expecting the worst” and making a point of saying “thank you” when Noel made his no-elimination announcement. After being one of the judge’s favourites in week one, blubbing Briony has suffered an alarming dip in form.
Oldest contestant Karen didn’t fare much better. Her sad-looking, under-baked roulade was the tent’s worst and she came second from bottom in the blancmange technical. Her showstopper was respectable but might not have been enough to save her in a normal week. Karen might just have hit her ceiling. What odds these two bowing out next week?
Dan deserved his first Star Baker award
Dan Beasley-Harding has been one of the marquee’s most consistent performers and came close to being crowned Star Baker in the past two weeks. Now he finally got his, ahem, just desserts.
His Fruity Florida Roulade was neat, fresh-flavoured and earned him a Hollywood handshake. His raspberry blancmange had the perfect wobble and won the technical round. His James & The Giant Peach-inspired showstopper looked more like a planet than a peach but was declared delicious.
“Dan the Man” just edged out wacky-shirted Welshman Jon Jenkins, whose mildly disturbing pink tutu presentation was met with applause from everyone but the freaked-out Paul.
Another Prue win in style wars
Much as we admired Sandi’s ice lolly jumper and Manon Lagreve’s Eiffel Tower T-shirt, this week’s in-tent fashion face-off was a walkover for Prue, who teamed an on-point monochrome print smock with yellow statement necklace and red-and-yellow specs. She resembled a sort of elegant zebra.
Noel’s black floral shirt felt a little rent-a-Fielding, as did Paul’s umpteenth blue shirt. Baker Karen wafted in to the tent wearing a flowing orange kaftan but soon removed it, presumably due to the heat.
Rahul continued to be contest’s cult hero
Self-deprecating and sighing Rotherham research scientist Rahul Mandal, aka “the new Nadiya”, has charmed the nation with his chunky knitwear and guileless jibber-jabber. Even though he’s been the series’ early pace-setter, he’s still shaky-handed and endearingly nervous. His hair seems to be getting bigger each week with the stress of it all.
“Little genius” and “culinary magician” Rahul revealed how he has a glass of milk every morning, learnt his knife skills from TV and YouTube, apologised for his timer beeping and was all-round adorable.
He wasn’t far off a rare hat-trick of consecutive Star Baker crowns either, especially when Paul left a long dramatic pause before deeming his opera cake showstopper “fantastically flavoured and silky smooth. You did a great job there Rahul. Again.”
Noel Fielding was on fine form
With just eight bakers competing and more room to riff, co-host Noel had a particularly amusing episode. He and Sandi kicked off proceedings by shoving a custard pie into Paul Hollywood’s face, which is always pleasing.
He comforted the emotional Briony, gently teased Rahul, compared Ruby Bhogal’s roulade to a poisonous caterpillar, referred to blood as “goth juice”, suggested that pears needed a new press officer - and, in a surreal sight gag, was glimpsed being chased across Welford Park’s lawns by a werewolf.
Noel even distracted us from the non-elimination by quipping: “It feels weird sending no one home, so I’m gonna go. See you later, guys!” Come back next week, though, yeah?
Favourites coming to the fore
It was very much a field of two halves this week, with Dan, Jon, Ruby and Rahul way ahead of the rest. Could this quartet end up being our semi-finalists in a month’s time?
Mercurial Manon and quirky Kim-Joy struggled in the opening two rounds, but managed to save their skins with their showstoppers. Briony and Karen brought up the rear. Together with Terry, they desperately need to put in a strong performance next week or they could be on the first bus out of Berkshire.
Contestant camaraderie growing
One of the most heart-lifting qualities of Bake Off is its warm, supportive atmosphere and, as the series progresses, the bakers’ burgeoning friendships.
Four weeks in, we saw this in action. Jon helped Rahul. Dan helped Ruby. Manon cuddled Briony. Jon gallantly congratulated Dan. Altogether now: awww.
Spice up your life next week
Terry’s all better and back next Tuesday, as is our post-show analysis. It’s Spice Week, which is sadly nothing to do with The Spice Girls. Say you’ll be there.
