The Great British Bake Off semi-final aired on Channel 4 on Tuesday, with Patisserie Week proving to be the most stressful episode yet. Viewers watched as the four remaining bakers faced a series of demanding challenges, culminating in the elimination of Toby.
The Signature Challenge required the bakers to create cream horns. Jasmine and Aaron impressed the judges, while Tom and Toby struggled. However, the Technical Challenge proved to be the turning point, with host Alison Hammond calling it the 'most difficult' of the series. The bakers were tasked with making a framboisier cake covered in a sugar dome and topped with a delicate fondant flower.
Jasmine, despite failing to achieve the dome, came out on top. Toby's cake, however, failed to set and melted into a puddle, landing him in last place. One viewer commented on X: 'I couldn’t with Toby's technical! It was too funny the way it just got worse every time they showed it on the screen.' Another added: 'That’s the first car crash technical ever.'
For the Showstopper, the bakers had to create a macaron centrepiece with at least 30 filled macarons. Tom opted for a chocolate beehive using 12 kilos of chocolate, but Paul Hollywood was unimpressed. Toby presented a macaron tower resembling a crate of lemons, but judges criticised the use of gingerbread and lack of flavour in his lemon treats.
Viewers took to social media to express their stress. One wrote: 'This is the most stressful Bake Off semi final I've ever seen.' Another agreed: 'Blimey… That Bake Off macaron showstopper challenge was stressful - and I’m just watching in bed at home.'
Toby's elimination means the final will feature Tom, Aaron, and five-time Star Baker winner Jasmine. The Great British Bake Off continues next week on Channel 4.
