Jon blames ‘nemesis’ of vegan food for show exit

Welsh meat-eater ‘won’t be turning vegan’ after ‘truly hideous’ final bake

Jon blamed his vegan “nemesis” for being sent home from The Great British Bake Off.

The 47-year-old Welshman and meat-eater was defeated by the challenge of producing plant-based bakes in Vegan Week.

He said that he could not manage his usual representation of Wales with vegan food, and would not switch his diet any time soon.

Ruby survived another week on the show despite her celebration cake toppling into a “collapsed mess”, and Kim-Joy claimed the prize of Star Baker.

Gravity proved a problem for contestants getting to grips with a lack of eggs or dairy, and Jon’s showstopper slumped after his final bake.

It was branded “truly hideous” by Paul Hollywood.

Having only cooked vegan once in his life, Jon ran out of time and filling for his signature vegan tarts of falafel and hummus.

His middling vegan pavlova in the technical challenge was not enough to save him.

The blood courier admitted the week was a disaster and said: “It’s not my thing at all.”

He added: “My real downfall this week was the signature, that is what finished me off, and I won’t be turning vegan soon that’s for sure.

“I didn’t think a vegetable would prove to be my nemesis, but the vegan gods got to me.

“As a self-confessed meat-eater I have only ever cooked one vegan meal in my life.

“I am very patriotic and managed to get a bit of Wales in nearly every episode.

“I couldn’t get any of Wales in Vegan Week and that’s probably where I went wrong.”

Ruby managed to remain despite her cake dramatically collapsing as contestants strolled outside the tent, with Noel Fielding having to break the news of the toppled tiers.

Kim-Joy gained a Hollywood handshake and was named Star Baker, despite coming last in the technical challenge.

Her finely decorated cake lifted her above the other contestants.

Rahul impressed with his tarts, which Prue Leith deemed “poetry”, but did not earn the usual highpraise from the judges for his other challenges.

Manon also faced a possible exit, with Hollywood saying her show-stopper “looks great – tastes awful”.

But it was Jon who left, the Bake Off tent, along with his signature Hawaiian shirt.

In the next episode, contestants will wear one of the gaudy shirts in tribute to Jon.

Bake Off returns to Channel 4 on Tuesday October 16 at 8pm.

Proud Welshman Jon said he failed to represent his country during Vegan Week, “which is probably where I went wrong”.