The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Selasi exits Bake Off tent after he ‘drops the ball’
TELEVISION: Losing baker admits semifinal was ‘the right time’ for him to go
Selasi Gbormittah said he “dropped the ball” as he became the ninth baker to leave the Great British Bake Off tent, but admitted exiting the competition at the semi-final stage was “the right time” for him.
The contestants were tasked with creating a selection of patisseries, but the 30-year-old banker failed to impress the judges with his creations.
He said: “It’s a massively great achievement for me personally, and my family, to get to the semi-finals. It’s been absolutely amazing, splendid, I loved it all. I was almost at the last hurdle, and then I dropped the ball.
“I can’t blame anyone else but myself, I was sorry to be going but also accepted it at the same time.”
Judge Paul Hollywood said he was “very proud of Selasi” to get this far.
Selasi’s downfall in the semi-final began with the signature challenge, as the four remaining bakers were tasked with creating 24 savoury palmiers with two different flavours.
His salmon, spinach and mushroom, and sun-dried tomato, onion and Parmesan palmiers were under-baked.
The technical challenge required the contestants to construct a ring-shaped yeast drizzle cake, but Selasi came bottom of the pack for his over-baked effort with disappointing orange segments on top.
Aerospace engineer Andrew Smyth, 25, was named Star Baker for the second time during the competition, securing him a place in the final along with Jane Beedle and Candice Brown.
The final of the Great British Bake Off will be shown at 8pm next Wednesday on BBC1.