Wow! What a series. I think it’s quite possibly my favourite series yet. Bake off came to save 2020, and for me, that is exactly what it did. The fun and sweetness (all puns intended) we usually expect from the show and the magic of seeing people hug one another is a luxurious feeling and a warming sigh of relief we never expected to crave so badly after the 2019 series ended!
The producers wanted to keep this year as similar as they could to the other series whilst also following government COVID-19 guidelines. This proved difficult, and almost led to there being no series at all this year (the real-life equivalent of a soggy bottom). Instead, twelve bakers, among the one hundred and thirty crew members, had to take six weeks out of their schedules to be away from all of their loved ones and live in a bubble together at the Down Hall hotel in Essex (instead of their usual location in Berkshire).
I think that is why this year felt so special to me, and I would have been happy if any of the bakers won after all that they had sacrificed. You could clearly see their close bond that had developed from working and living together, which just reminded me why I love this show so much. Closeness, cake, and cheerful chats – the three ingredients needed to create the perfect series.
If you did not manage to watch it, I am going to list my top five favourite moments from the series this year, proving why The Great British Bake Off is so great.
When Dave’s pineapple upside down cakes became pineapple upright cakes
My mouth was stuck open for a good five minutes as this scene played out. Sura is checking her bakes, ensuring they are as perfect as can be. She gets flustered, and as she moves away from her technical bake, she knocks the majority of Dave’s bake on the floor, creating a murder on the tent floor.
Dave, being the sweetheart he is, was SO understanding and kind to Sura, despite looking visibly upset. And Sura was crying with guilt. Bless her.
Luckily, Pru and Paul were understanding, and judged Dave’s technical from his two surviving cakes.
Any and all of Rowan’s waistcoats
Rowan has such a bright and wonderful personality, which is definitely represented through his clothes and even his bakes! A personal favourite of mine was his week three waistcoat. A bright yellow to represent his sunny personality. And I loved his tree bread bake that week too!
Image courtesy of @britishbakeoff
The Kawaii Cakes
Bake off’s first Japanese week! Although they could have been slightly better with their choices of bakes on the show, the kawaii cakes were so cute. I wanted to eat them all- they were so fun. Lottie’s toadstool cake was wonderful and was worthy of all the praise she received from it. Lottie was always extremely creative and fun with her ideas, perhaps that’s because she is a pantomime producer after all. This week she thrived.
Laura
I do not have enough words to describe my love for Laura- she is possibly the kindest, sweetest, and most relatable soul that has ever been on bake off. Yes, Laura created a mess all of the time, but she was our mess, and we loved her for this. And her flavours were always impeccable according to Pru and Paul. She was always there for other bakers when they needed her, acting as their personal cheerleader and being supportive. I want her to be a presenter alongside Noel and Matt next year please Channel 4!?
I feel so sad when I think about all the hate she has received for getting into the final over Hermine. Both Laura and Hermine worked so hard, and it would have been sad to see either of them go. Laura does not deserve the bullying and trolling she has received online. I read an article here about how Laura felt ‘guilty’ and faced imposter syndrome because she ‘knew’ Hermine was a better baker than she was.
But each week Laura improved massively, and only got better. Her lack of self-confidence held her back, and I cannot imagine that these trolls have helped with that. She deserved to be in the final.
And most importantly- Peter’s win
As the youngest GBBO winner ever at a mere 20 years old, Peter reminds me that there are people out there my own age with a lot more talent in their little finger compared to me.
Image courtesy of @britishbakeoff
Peter was so consistent with his bakes (apart from his wobble in the jelly cake week). He received multiple Hollywood Handshakes, created bakes with such colour and vibrancy, and he always managed to stand out with his impeccable flavours. He was a worthy winner, and I want him to have his own baking show now.
Now what am I going to do with my Tuesday nights? Who knows. But one thing I know for certain is that I am going to keep up to date with all the bakers from this series on Twitter and Instagram. This series healed a lot of people’s hearts this year, and I am so grateful.
You can still watch this season on All4 if you missed anything!
Words By: Anna Duffell
Edited By: Dasha Pitts-Yushchenko