The nation waves goodbye to The Great British Bake Off
BY Holly Wade
1st Jan 2015 Film & TV
The time has finally come. We've bid a tearful goodbye to a BBC institution, The Great British Bake Off, but who was crowned the last ever winner? Catch up here.
While television companies constantly vie for ratings there is definitely one particular time-slot where you can predict a winner. The final of The Great British Bake Off was the most-watched show on TV in the UK last year and no matter what you try to put up against it, you will certainly lose.
This is the final time we will see the Bake Off in its current form, so it was with some trepidation that we viewed the final, desperate to know who the winner was but also pretty devastated about it coming to an end.
Thank you for joining us this series. It’s been emotional. We’re not going to cry. We’re not going to cry.
— British Bake Off (@BritishBakeOff) October 26, 2016
Ah, go on then… #GBBO #GBBOFinal pic.twitter.com/XmyxUGrD9S
The final three of Jane, Candice and Andrew have been through many ups and downs this series and the final proved to be their toughest challenge yet. The opening signature challenge foreshadowed the crowning of the winner as the bakers created a meringue crown to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday. Poor Andrew was so nervous he almost dropped a mixing bowl before the challenge had even started.
Early on, Mary stated that the final was an ‘open field’ and in true Berry style she was spot on. Each contestant pushed themselves to the limit with Candice pulling out all of the stops, Andrew relying on his engineering expertise and Jane trying to keep her cool.
Bake Off never fails with its puns and this episode's gem was Andrew announcing that he was on ‘crack watch’ when looking at his meringue in the oven. Andrew’s idea of putting the meringue onto a mannequin’s head was ingenious but had me watching with my hands over my eyes for fear he would drop the lot onto the tent floor.
Two handshakes. One heartbreak. #GBBO #GBBOFinal pic.twitter.com/131RtSOPaw
— British Bake Off (@BritishBakeOff) October 26, 2016
The Hollywood handshake is one element that will be making the move to Channel 4 and both Candice and Jane received it early on, leaving Andrew a little disappointed. Candice put it well, jokily adding "he’s giving them out willy-nilly". We’ve never known Paul to be so generous!
The technical challenge sounded easy at first, a classic Victoria Sandwich, but sneaky Mary only gave the finalists one instruction, leaving literally everything up to them to decide. In an attempt to win favour with the judges even the eggs were weighed before mixing. Andrew pipped the others to the post, making up for his lack of a handshake in the previous round.
The final showstopper was an epic bowing out with a picnic fit for the Queen consisting of 49 items being made over five hours, with only one oven. Planning was absolutely essential and all of the finalists managed to bake everything required of them in the allotted time. Andrew even made an Excel spreadsheet to help him keep to schedule.
Thank you Mel, thank you @sueperkins thank you Mary. #GBBO genuinely made the world a nicer, happier, kinder place. The fondest farewell ❤️
— Richard Osman (@richardosman) October 26, 2016
We were gifted a look into the lives of the finalists and the families they have made so proud throughout the contest as they finished their bakes, with Andrew’s mum revealing how he even missed his own graduation to bake instead. Is there nothing he wouldn’t do for this show?
As the episode, and its BBC run, drew to a close I’m not ashamed to say that I shed a few tears. The tension mounted as Candice was announced the worthy winner. There wasn’t as much of a Nadiya-esque emotional ending this time around but it was still pretty darn emotional and a fabulous end to a fantastic final series. Goodbye Bake Off, the nation loves you.
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