Great British Bake Off: Second baker eliminated and star baker named during audience choice week

Project planner and scheduler Shannon has been eliminated from The Great British Bake Off after failing to impress the judges during its inaugural audience choice week.

Tuesday evening’s episode of the Channel 4 series, presented by Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond, saw the contestants tackle challenges submitted directly by viewers.

The signature task required making a baked cheesecake alongside a family member, while the 11 bakers received mystery ingredient boxes to craft a creation of their choice for the technical.

The showstopper tasked them with producing wearable bakes, featuring creations like a banana cake wig, an almond sponge resembling angel wings, and a rum fruit carrot cake crafted into a hat.

Political economy student Moyin also made a top hat bake.

Despite judge Paul Hollywood describing it as “a great cake”, the creation dropped onto the floor after the TV chef cut a slice of it.

“It needs to sit slightly lower on the head, then it wouldn’t have wobbled so much,” the TV chef explained after the blunder, and his fellow judge Nigella Lawson hailed the cake as “sensational”.

After the three challenges, marketing graduate Clara was named star baker and Shannon became the second baker to leave the 17th series.

Following her elimination, the 29-year-old from Gloucestershire said: “It’s so hard to put into words what this has meant to me.

“I have become myself if anything, and I have let go of any persona of who I wish I was.

“I have just really been me and it has been life-changing.”

“I don’t want to say goodbye to anyone,” she added.

Shannon described feeling “incredibly emotional” after This Morning presenter Hammond announced she would be leaving the show, and said: “Deep down, I had a feeling it was coming.

“After the technical challenge, I just knew.”

Shannon was “gutted” as she had originally planned a different bake but instead made a lemon drizzle loaf which ended up having a “strange aftertaste”, adding: “I thought my showstopper might pull me back, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough.

“The one thing that lifted me instantly was seeing my girl Clara get Star Baker. I was so proud of her, she absolutely deserved it after the week she had.

“Then Alison announced it was me going home. I held it together, even though inside I wanted to scream and burst into tears.

“I wanted to stay strong for the bakers. Everyone was shocked.”

Shannon recalled receiving “the biggest squeeze” from the presenters, before Lawson approached and “looked me straight in the eyes, and told me what a lovely person I am and what a talented baker I am”.

“My heart stopped. Hearing that from someone who has been such a huge inspiration to me… that moment alone was worth being in the tent,” she said.

The baker added: “My time in the tent was over before it even felt like it had started.

“I was proud to have had the opportunity, but gutted my time was short. I would do it all again in a heartbeat.”

The Great British Bake Off continues next Tuesday at 8pm on Channel 4.