Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Pud’s no good
Bake Off finalists come unstuck as showstoppers become floppers
THE Great British Bake Off final descends into chaos tonight when all three bakers fail the technical challenge, then struggle with their showstoppers.
The trio competing for this year’s crown are fitness fanatic Sandro Farmhouse, 30, cardiovascular research associate Syabira Yusoff, 32, and electronics engineer Abdul Rehman Sharif, 29.
But little goes to plan as they take on their final challenges of this series.
Things get off to a decent start with the signature challenge, in which judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith asked the three bakers, all from London, to create a summer picnic including mini cakes and veggie pies.
But their efforts come unstuck when they attempt the technical, in which they are asked to create a summer pudding bomb – with no instructions. warns: “If this doesn’t set it will just sink like a splodge.”
Tasked with making a delicate mousse and fruity jelly which stay within the pudding’s bread walls, the trio flounder.
A minute before the two-hour time limit ends, Syabira declares: “This is a disaster.”
Meanwhile, the other two desperately try to cover up their own flat and runny puddings.
One of them is declared the winner but Paul, 56, says the dessert – only half set – is not worth any applause. He laughs: “Don’t clap.”
Before their final showstopper challenge, Prue, 82, declares: “I don’t care who wins, I just love them all.” Sandro’s tearful mum Sandra tells the cameras: “I think he’s the winner. He can win. I’m very proud of him.”
Abdul’s family also send him a message of support from Pakistan while Syabira’s boyfriend Bradley confesses he is not a fan of cakes.
Speaking of when he first met her on a dating app, he laughs: “I thought ‘this girl looks fun. I don’t eat cake but I’m sure she can make some other food’.”
For their showstoppers, the trio are asked to make an edible sculpture based on the theme of “our beautiful planet”. While some elements of their bakes draw praise, judges also call their efforts “messy”, “burnt”, “overprue baked”, “chewy”, “strange” and even “a proper failure”.
Sandro says he feels the “least likely” to win and Abdul sighs: “I wish it could’ve gone
STRUGGLES much better.”
Paul said he felt “electricity in the air” before the final, with the audience in the tent adding to the pressure.
He added: “They are all in with a shout at winning. But they start spotting their friends in the corner and the tension really rises.”
The winner will be announced at the end of tonight’s final, which airs on Channel 4 from 8pm.
They’re all in with a shout.. but they see their friends and then the tension rises PAUL HOLLYWOOD ON THE PRESSURE FACED BY FINALISTS