Didn’t they check him out? ‘Secret pro’ Steve is star baker AGAIN with biscuit chess board
HE rose to the occasion in the first week with an unnervingly convincing cake disguised as a BLT sandwich.
And Steven Carter-Bailey proved last night that his opening triumph on The Great British Bake Off was far from a fluke, with a meticulous biscuit chess board that looked good enough to play on.
The 34-year-old, who topped each chess piece with a miniature cake, was crowned star baker for the second week in a row.
Judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith appeared dumbfounded by his competency at this stage in the competition, describing his bakes as ‘perfect’ and ‘exquisite’. Mr Carter-Bailey said: ‘I don’t think I will ever get used to this feeling, it’s alien to me. I have bullied myself so much in my life that finally I am getting praise, I don’t know what to do with it.’
While there is no suggestion that the marketing manager from Hertfordshire is anything but a talented home baker, his early performances have led some to question his amateur status.
Followers of his social media accounts have gone as far as calling him a secret professional. One wrote: ‘Not sure where they got Steven from, he’s got to be a professional, surely?!’ Another said: ‘Everybody else may as well go home.’
However, he was not the only baker to impress in last night’s episode. NHS molecular biologist Yan won the fortune cookie technical challenge and architect Tom Hetherington was praised for his ‘drainpipes and ladders’ game.
Cancer survivor Chris Geiger was second to leave the tent after making raw fortune cookies and burning his biscuits. He said: ‘I hope from being on the show it raises awareness that cancer can be beaten and inspires anyone who is having treatment.’