‘Great British Baking Show’: Axed Baker Speaks Out After Shocking Elimination
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Great British Baking Show, Collection 13, Week 6]
The Great British Baking Show‘s 16th season (labeled as Collection 13 on Netflix) continued this week with the seven remaining bakers returning to the tent for Pastry Week, all hoping to avoid the dreaded soggy bottoms.
Judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith tasked the budding bakers with three challenges: the Signature, Technical, and Showstopper. For the Signature, the contestants had to create a savoury pastry plait that contained a tasty filling on the inside and was crispy on the outside.
Lesley stole the show with her Hollywood-inspired sausage and gooseberry roll, while Aaron also impressed with his Jamaican beef patty-inspired pastry. However, it wasn’t a strong showing for Nataliia, Toby, and Iain, whose creations were criticized for lacking flavor and being underbaked.
The Technical challenge saw the bakers taking on a traditional gala pie, a hot water crust filled with pork and a line of hard-boiled eggs running through the middle. The kitchen soon descended into chaos as all the bakers struggled with the recipe, made even more difficult by Hollywood’s request to include a side of piccalilli with the pies.
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With many bakers opting not to add a steam hole to their pies, the creations often ended up with the infamous soggy bottom. No one was particularly impressive in this challenge, with Aaron, Tom, and Nataliia, specifically, having a tough time.
In the Showstopper challenge, the bakers were tasked with creating a sculpted tart, which had to be at least one foot high. Hollywood and Leith also wanted to see a story behind the pastries.
Jasmine once again earned the Star Baker with her impressive orchid-design tart, while Nataliia, Aaron, and Iain found themselves on the chopping block as their creations didn’t quite come off exactly as intended.
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In the end, hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond announced that 32-year-old office assistant Nataliia was the sixth person to be eliminated from the competition.
Nataliia took her elimination in good spirits, saying, “Thank you so much. I am proud of myself and I think my little girl will be proud and I hope I have made my country a bit proud of me. Oh my gosh I think I am going to cry… I have met all these wonderful people. I love you guys you are all so nice.”
Speaking with Channel 4 after her exit, Nataliia said her favorite moment from the show was winning Star Baker in the first week. “My Ukrainian showstopper cake — a topographic map of Ukraine — meant everything to me. It was more than just cake. It was a tribute to my home, my family, and the strength of my country,” she shared.
“When it was announced, I could hardly believe it. I was emotional, proud, and so grateful to be seen for who I am — not just as a baker, but as a Ukrainian,” she added.
As for her worst moment, that was leaving the tent. “I didn’t expect it to be so emotional, but everything seemed to come out all at once,” Nataliia explained. “I put my heart and soul into everything I did during my time there. I suppose that’s the magic and challenge of Bake Off — one moment can lift you up, and the next can really test you.”
What did you think of this week’s episode? Did the right contestant go home? Let us know your thoughts below.
The Great British Baking Show, Collection 13, Fridays, Netflix
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