The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Lack of treasure in her pirate’s chest meant Flo just had to go
Liverpool gran went on show after her husband of 48 years died
Liverpudlian grandmother Flo has become the third person to leave the Great British Bake Off tent after her pirate’s chest made of bread was not the treasure she hoped for.
The fan favourite, 71, applied for the show after her husband of 48 years, Richard, died of leukaemia.
She embarked on bread week declaring “I’ve been making bread for 40 years” but also revealed she has never timed her bakes and struggled to impress the judges with her offerings.
Her signature teacake bake, with cinnamon orange and mixed fruit with whiskey jam, did not have enough salt or fruit and her oven was set too low, according to judge Paul Hollywood.
She also came near the bottom of the pack during the technical challenge, when Hollywood said her cottage loaf needed another 20 minutes in the oven.
For the showstopper challenge of a bread sculpture using natural food colours, she whipped up Davy Jones’ locker, made with squid ink, paprika and beetroot.
While judge Prue Leith said it was “very ingenious”, she added it was “a little too clumsy to come off perfectly”.
After leaving the tent, she said: “I feel since Bake Off I have blossomed and it has given me the strength to carry on.
“Bake Off has made me a stronger person.
“When Richard died, I felt that half of me had gone, I had lost my soulmate but now I feel I have my confidence back.”
She added: “Richard would have said ‘don’t be doing it love’. He probably wouldn’t have wanted me to go through the stress of it.
“But I know on seeing it he would have been as proud as punch and said well done.
“My son got a message on his phone from the nurses on Ward 24, Aintree Hospital (who looked after Richard) and all the nurses said ‘Go Flo, Go Flo!’.
“That made my night and I was really choked. That meant more than anything as I don’t really follow Twitter or social media. To get a message from those busy nurses was really heartwarming.
“I have had a long journey to get where I am and to other wives who lose their beloved husband I would like to say it does get better in time. I didn’t think I would make it but I did. After the rain, there is sunshine.”
Steven Carter-Bailey’s run as star baker came to an end when Julia Chernogorova took the crown after impressing with her earl grey, apricot and cherry teacakes, her second place in the technical challenge and her bread sculpture of a country scene with a mushroom and a snail, which raised eyebrows from the judges for its phallic shape. This was bread week. Cowpats, snails, mushrooms and you don’t want wonky balls, as Liam said.
Whisper it but the Doyenne’s breadmaking skills don’t extend beyond the bread machine but that didn’t stop her expressing some pretty crisp views on yesterday’s competition.
It’s best Danish Sandi Toksvig doesn’t try imitating a Yorkshire accent again and someone should tell her that posh girls like her don’t wear flat caps.
What possessed Noel to wear a blue dress? It might have looked better on flat-cap Sandi, so long as she didn’t trip over the hem.
Yorkshire-born Doyenne was surprised some of the bakers didn’t know what a teacake is. A bit hard, mind you, on Scottish Tom, who thought they were mallow and chocolate – where was the culinary inclusion here?
It was left to Noel to extend the hand of friendship to James but he was modest enough to admit it meant nothing. It’s time there were some more of those fabled Hollywood Handshakes which all the bakers bake for.
Last week the Doyenne thought Flo was skating on thin ice. As granny to granny she was sad to see her go but not even 40 years of bread baking could save her.
Have you noticed the way Prue Leith has of pursing her lips which makes it clear that Bake Off isn’t for sissies? “Inside I’m crying” and “I’m dying inside” – if they didn’t realise it before, the bakers are beginning to realise it now!
Three down, six more to go and Noel owes for that broken cup.
My son got a message from Aintree Hospital and all the nurses said ‘Go Flo, Go Flo!’ That made my night