My star biker
Cycle hero Sir Chris gets right behind Bake Off Peter for final
Sir Chris Hoy has backed fellow Scot Peter Sawkins to win this year’s Great British Bake Off.
Student Peter, 20, from Edinburgh, wowed the judges in the first round off the competition when he made a hero- themed showstopper based on Chris.
Now after a few wobbly bakes the student is favourite to take the Bake Off trophy in Tuesday’s final after last week getting his second star baker nod.
Olympian and 11-times world champion cyclist Chris said: “I’m delighted to hear Peter has made the final, particularly as he immortalised me in cake form..
“He’s doing himself and Scotland proud. I ’ ve ful l confidence he’ll go all the way.” Peter’s Victoria sponge showing Chris dressed in a fondant Team GB cycling top, goggles and helmet got him off to a great start and earned him star baker. And Chris jumped on to twitter to share the young baker’s triumph. He wrote: “Great job, Peter, thanks for choosing me!” He completed the post with a smiley face and two ‘thumbs up’ emojis.
Peter goes into Tuesday’s final with a strong chance of winning. The only other contestant to be star baker twice, Hermine, is out of the running.
Last week, his complicated Danish horn cake came top in the technical challenge and won him a Hollywood Handshake from judge Paul.
Noel Fielding has nicknamed the Edinburgh-based accountancy student “the baby-faced assassin”. Peter told Radio Times: “I wouldn’t have ever named myself that but I quite like it. I always want my friends in the tent to do well but at the same time I am competitive.
“I try to be as calm and collected as I possibly can – so maybe that’s a bit like being an assassin.”
His opponents in the final are Laura Adlington and Dave Friday. Laura, from Kent, has served up strong flavours let down by untidy presentation throughout the series. Dave, from Hampshire, had a shaky start but has improved through the weeks.