The Great British Bake Off’s Jeff exits series mid-way through Biscuit Week

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As a film enthusiast who has watched every season of The Great British Bake Off since its inception, I must say that this week’s episode was a heartfelt rollercoaster of emotions. It’s always sad to see talented bakers leave the competition, but the departure of Jeff and Hazel felt particularly poignant.

*Warning: Contains spoilers for episode 2 of The Great British Bake Off 2024*

Following the surprising absence of an elimination during the initial episode of this year’s The Great British Bake Off season last week, Biscuit Week resulted in two contestants departing from the tent.

To start, it was Jeff who stepped out of the tent initially this time around. Remarkably, just a week ago, he had to withdraw from two tasks due to his ill health. This week, during the technical challenge, he found himself still under the weather and chose to depart from the competition at that juncture.

He expressed: “I’m doing well, but this occasion didn’t quite suit me. I must admit, I had a great time and everyone has been fantastic. It’s an excellent team of bakers in there. Unfortunately, I didn’t advance too far, but overall it was splendid, so thank you very much.

In that particular installment, it was Hazel who found herself saying goodbye to her apron, as Jeff’s departure was preceded by an official dismissal from the show.

In my opinion, she bid farewell with a shrug, anticipating the outcome as her baking attempts consistently fell short. Perhaps, this signifies the end of my biscuit puppet theater days.

In this installment, the contestants were tasked with crafting flawless Viennese-style sandwich cookies, and for their technical round, they had to replicate an old-fashioned, refreshing mint dessert that families often enjoy.

At the end of the episode, Noel announced that Sumayah was Star Baker.

More recently, during an interview, Jeff was questioned about whether he’s still involved in baking post his stint on the program. His response was affirmative, stating that not only is he still baking, but he’s also working diligently on creating the wedding cake for his son’s upcoming nuptials in October.

There will be three types of cakes: one is a lemon-elderflower-almond cake, another is a red velvet chocolate cake, and the third is a carrot and parsnip cake. All of them will have Swiss meringue buttercream icing on top.

I find it more manageable to prepare them in parts, make them ahead, and keep some in the freezer for later. This way, I can savor the process and not feel overwhelmed.

The Great British Bake starts on Tuesday 24th September at 9pm on Channel 4 and All4.

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2024-10-02 00:03