Phil leaves Bake Off after judge Paul storms out
PAUL Hollywood stormed out of the Great British Bake Off tent as all 10 remaining contestants failed the technical challenge in a series first.
Their maids of honour tarts made for dishonour in the Dairy Week task in last night’s show, to the dismay of Paul and his fellow judge Prue Leith.
Paul called their efforts “awful”, before mock-storming out and kicking the wall.
There was further controversy as Phil Thorne became the fourth baker to leave the tent – despite rivals Priya O’Shea and Michael Chakraverty making bigger disasters of their tarts.
Essex trucker Phil, 57, said: “I was a bit BURN shocked to be going. Paul put all of us bakers on the naughty step after that challenge as he felt none of us had tried hard enough.”
Paul admitted: “Phil had justification to be shocked because it was that close.”
Prue challenged the bakers to make 12 of the tarts, a favourite of Henry VIII – flaky pastry cases filled with lemon curd plus “well risen” cheese curd topped off with a Tudor rose design. She said: “All the elements are equally important, so don’t mess up on any of them.”
But Priya’s were entirely unfinished, and when asked to present them she said: “Is there really any point?”
As Paul got to her offering, he said: “I’’m not even going to look at that one.” He said later: “Priya’s were a car crash.”
Michael fought tears as his tarts came second last and was told the fillings were “overdone”. Steph Blackwell’s were deemed the best of a bad bunch.
Phil came sixth in the technical challenge but was let down by his signature bake of Indian milk desserts, which Hollywood said tasted “fake”.
The Channel 4 baking contest, hosted by Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding, is watched by nine million viewers.