The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Tears of Kim-Joy... but it’s au revoir to Manon
C’est la vie for Manon as French software project manager’s Danish treats fall flat
Manon has become the eighth contestant to leave the Great British Bake Off tent, in a week that saw Kim-Joy break down in tears over an underproved showstopper.
Manon, a 27-year-old French software project manager, was overwhelmed by the challenge of baking a selection of Scandinavian treats for Danish Week, a Bake Off first.
Entering the quarter-final stage, only five bakers remained, and in one of the programme’s toughest challenges they were asked to bake rye bread Smorrebrod, sweet apple and cinnamon Aebleskiver and Kagemand, a pastry served on birthdays.
Ruby claimed the prize of star baker after narrowly avoiding eviction last week, with Paul Hollywood judging her tandoori open Smorrebrod sandwich a “real celebration of rye”.
Mental health specialist Kim-Joy broke down in tears after judges Hollywood and Prue Leith rubbished her showstopper for being underproved.
However, it was Rahul and Manon who struggled the most with the selection of sweet and savoury bakes.
Rahul burnt his Maharajah showstopper and failed to allow his rye bread enough time to rise, but it was Manon who exited the tent after a series of botched bakes.
She admitted she was disappointed not to make it to the patisserie-themed semi-final.
She said: “I didn’t make it to patisserie week, and that’s a shame as that is what we French are known for.
“I so wanted to get to that particular week as it would have made my parents so proud, but it was not to be, c’est la vie!”
“I was the saddest baker to leave, I think, because I loved the Bake Off bubble so much. There isn’t a moment of it that I didn’t enjoy.
“I put my heart on a plate so the judges would either cuddle it or kill it.
“It was hard to take the criticism but I valued it and learned from it.”
She added: “I have learned so much, and so many things I didn’t think I would actually be able to make.
“I am a stronger baker, and hopefully a stronger person.”