The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Rahul Mandal wins Great British Bake Off.
Paul Hollywood says winner still doesn’t know just how good he is
Rahul Mandal has been named winner of the Great British Bake Off.
The research scientist, who has struggled with confidence throughout the series, beat Ruby Bhogal and KimJoy to triumph in the competition, despite a disaster in his last challenge.
Rahul, 30, who moved to the UK from India as a student, had to restart his showstopper after the 32C heat in the tent caused a jar on his workbench to shatter, sending glass everywhere.
He recreated his rock garden dessert, featuring buttercream plants, choux rocks and chocolate orange mounds, from scratch after throwing away anything that might have shards in.
The judges ultimately gave him extra time at the end of challenge to make up for the 15 minutes he lost.
After he was named the winner, he said: “I talk so much, most of the time, and I just don’t know what to say now. I don’t know whether to laugh or to cry, I just feel I need to talk with my mum.
“What’s next for me? I am going to start learning how not to say sorry so much... sorry about that.”
Earlier in the episode Rahul impressed the judges with his doughnuts in the signature challenge, despite never having eaten one before GBBO.
Judge Paul Hollywood described his doughnut filled with mango creme patisserie as “like a mango bomb”.
His spiced orange ring doughnut, with buttercream flowers, was more of a misstep and host Noel Fielding joked: “They are like a doughnut you would get at a funeral, can you lay some on my gravestone when I die?”
All three contestants struggled during the technical challenge.
Tasked with cooking six pitta breads and three dips on top of a campfire, the trio all found managing the flames to be an unexpected difficulty. Kim-Joy fared slightly better than the other two and went on to win the challenge.
After crowning Rahul the overall winner, judge Prue Leith said: “I think the amazing thing about Rahul and why I am so proud of him is that he came in unconfident, but he just kept going, and he never reined in his ambition, he always tried to do a bit more than everybody else, and it paid off.”
Hollywood added: “You know his intensity sometimes is amazing, and he is so good at what he does, but I don’t think he realises still how good he actually is and I think that’s what’s magic about Rahul.”