Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
TWEET & SOUR
Bake Off fans’ outrage as Prue reveals Sophie is winner hours before show final is broadcast
PRUE Leith will not be sacked for revealing the winner of The Great British Bake Off before the show went out, Channel 4 bosses say.
The judge, 77, tweeted 10 hours ahead of the final being broadcast last night: “No one told me judging a GBBO final would be so emotional. Bravo Sophie.”
Realising her mistake, the message revealing that Sophie Faldo, 33, had beaten Steven Carter-bailey, 34, and Kate Lyon, 29, was quickly deleted.
But the damage was done.
Despite a furious reaction from fans, producers insisted Prue’s job was safe for next year. Paul Hollywood, Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding will also return.
“We can’t be angry with Prue because we love her so much,” said one insider. “It’s hard to be cross for something that was just an awful mistake. No one’s going to feel worse about it than she does herself. She’s mortified.”
Prue, who is on holiday in Bhutan – six hours ahead of the UK – told one reporter: “I f***ed up.
“I’m in Bhutan. The time difference is massive. I thought that they got it six hours ago. I’m in too much of a state to talk about it.”
She issued an apology later, saying: “I am so sorry to the fans for my mistake this morning, I am in a different time zone and mortified by my error.”
Many fans remained angry, however, branding it the Great British Balls-up.
Gemma Shepatch blasted: “Thanks Prue Leith for ruining the GBBO final.” She added: “Would Mary have done that?” referring to former judge Mary Berry. Mimicking Prue’s tweet, Robert Pupkin said: “Nobody told me judging the Gaffe of the Year 2017 would be so emotional. Bravo Prue.”
The furore is expected to have hit viewing figures for the final, which featured small breads, iced biscuits and a showstopper entremet – a multilayered mousse-based cake.
Former Army officer Sophie, of Surrey, said after her win: “I don’t think I will forget this day for as long as I live.
“It is beyond anything I have dreamed of. What a privilege.”
She said that her Ode to the Honey Bee showstopper had been the clincher. She added: “I hadn’t based it on anybody else’s recipe, it was all my own.”
Paul Hollywood was moved to tears by the result. “I got a little bit emotional there,” he said. “I walked off quite quickly and said it’s the wind in my eye.”
Sophie, 33, said her best moment had been the Hollywood Handshake for her fruity cake in week one and the worst was when her millionaire’s shortbread wouldn’t set in week four.
She now plans to write a patisserie book and would like to travel the world for even more inspiration.