[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Great British Baking Show, Collection 13, Week 7]
The Great British Baking Show‘s 16th season (labeled as Collection 13 on Netflix) continued this week with the six remaining bakers returning to the tent for a first-ever theme, Meringue Week! And while the tricky task proved sweet for some, for others, it all broke down.
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 mini meringue tarts and pair them with memorable flavors.
Most of the contestants went for fruit-based creations, including passionfruit, lemon curd, and a Bake Off favorite, rhubarb. Iain even tempted fate by saying that no one had ever been eliminated from the show after using rhubarb.
However, it was Toby who received the coveted Hollywood handshake for his apple meringue tarts, which he’d made to resemble miniature apple pies. Jasmine also received a left-handed handshake for her passionfruit and raspberry tarts, with Hollywood refusing to give her a proper handshake because “she’s had too many.”
The Technical challenge saw the bakers taking on soufflés, with Hollywood revealing a “staggered” start and finish time, meaning the bakers were all working on their desserts at different intervals. The task proved difficult for Lesley and Tom, who found themselves at the bottom of the pecking order.
Meanwhile, Iain won the challenge despite thinking he messed up by pouring over 200 grams more sugar into the recipe than necessary.
In the Showstopper challenge, the bakers had to create vacherin glacé, also known as meringue ice cream cakes. Iain once again relied on his Bake Off history, paying homage to a fellow Iain, specifically, Iain Watters, who was eliminated in Season 5 after his disastrous meringue and ice cream dessert, which he presented to the judges in a trash can.
Taking inspiration from the infamous Bake Off moment, Iain made a coffee and chocolate ice cream cake presented in a trash can made out of meringue. While he received praise for his creativity, Hollywood wasn’t a fan of the taste, telling him that the flavors were too strong.
Lesley; GBBO Instagram
However, Iain was saved from the chopping block thanks to Lesley’s mistake with the recipe. She ended up mixing up the amount of sugar and egg whites she needed for her wedding-cake-inspired idea. Although she eventually realized and fixed the error, it didn’t leave her enough time to perfect her meringue.
After Toby was named Star Baker for the week for his mango-tree-shaped meringue, hosts Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding announced that 59-year-old hairdresser Lesley would be leaving the competition.
Speaking to BBC Radio Kent after her elimination episode, Lesley said she “had a blast” on the show but knew her time was coming to an end “because I didn’t have a great week.”
As for her highlight, she said it was “meeting Paul, also from Kent, and all the other bakers, and everything that I’ve learned about myself and baking.”
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