The Great British Baking Show (2010–…): Season 6, Episode 10 - The Final - full transcript

We have been watching a whole new batch of bakers,

but how did last year's 12 look back at their time on Bake Off?

It's just one panic after another, isn't it?

We'll discover what it was like to be the class of 2014.

It is the culmination of a lifetime baking.

It will be the biggest thing I have ever done,

apart from, you know, giving birth and all those weird things.

It is twice the size.

Last year's bakers will be divulging their secrets...

I think we all learnt by watching. It needs to wrap around, doesn't it?

Stop looking over!



..and revealing their life since.

What has happened afterwards has opened up a world to me

that I could have only dreamed of.

- Too sweet for me.
- We take a measure of Mary's meticulous gaze...

- Is this fondant?
- Yes.
- Absolutely top marks for flavouring.

..and a dollop of Paul's digit of doom...

- The side is raw.
- It's raw?

..and a heaped spoonful of Mel and Sue.

It is like a piles cushion, isn't it?

In no way can we allow that to be shown on television!

We will share their triumphs...

- It is what I call a Showstopper.
- I shall walk out of here on air!

..learn from their disasters...

- Oh, no!
- Starting again.



..and find out what really happened with the baked Alaska.

- I took it out of the freezer.
- Where's my ice cream?

Argh!

I don't even like baked Alaskas.

No, no, no...

This is the class of 2014's recipe for success.

Yeah, looks quite good. I'll have a taste of it in a minute.

Among thousands of hopefuls, just 12 of the country's most talented

home bakers made it through to compete

in 2014's Great British Bake Off.

30 challenges stood between the bakers and the winner's title,

but nothing was more nerve-racking than their first day

in the iconic white tent.

I can remember driving up in the taxi

and you could just see the points of the tent in the distance.

Oh, my God, I think we all screamed.

It was just like, "Oh, God, the tent! The tent!"

All of us walked in thinking,

"I'm the only one who has gotten here by accident.

"They are going to find me out."

Everything just suddenly dawns on you,

what you have actually decided to put yourself through.

I am not one to duck a challenge but I wanted to turn and run,

I think I really did.

Paul and Mary and Mel and Sue finally arrived.

I was like to the other one, "Oh, my God, it is Mary and Paul!"

Bakers, welcome to the Bake Off tent.

I realised that actually this was very serious

and I had to actually make something in this very unfamiliar environment.

Today you have got your first ever Signature Challenge.

Paul and Mary would love you to make Swiss rolls.

- Very good luck, everybody.
- On your marks...
- Get set...
- Bake!

By the time that "on your marks, get set, bake" happened,

I was in such a panic that all I was doing

was just trying to think, "Right, flour.

"I don't even know where everything is." It was just pure panic.

I didn't know what I was doing.

SHE GASPS

You have no idea what you are going to be up against.

You have no idea who anybody else is,

what they are going to be capable of.

Baking. We know how to bake, don't we?

We do. Only thing we know.

It's only a cake. I keep telling myself it's only a cake.

Nobody wanted to go home in the first week and I think we just

wanted to do something right so we don't have to go home.

The bakers had to get their sponges absolutely right.

Fingers crossed.

But this was the first time they had used their ovens.

So tempted just to watch it for the whole time whilst it is baking.

You are so worried about opening your oven

and letting the camera see what's inside it...

Still going to give it half a minute.

..that I just kept saying, "No, another minute,"

and they kept saying, "Is it ready? Let us know when it is ready."

"Yeah, another minute. You'd better go over there, film someone else,"

thinking I could do it while they weren't looking.

It is just on the edge, yeah. It is literally a few seconds.

Actually, what happened is I left it in way too long

and it was a little bit dry.

Done already.

It had just come out of the oven...

You can smell the aniseed.

Oh!

All of a sudden, I went hazy visioned

and felt like there was a whole weight on me.

I had to actually pull myself out of it and think,

"Don't go under here now," you know, "I need to make a Swiss roll."

The bakers had varying approaches to their roll.

I am just going to make a little slash then it rolls tightly.

- But Iain had a very different technique.
- Why have you done that?

Because if you score it, it prevents it cracking when you roll it.

- I want to see you do this, then.
- OK.

We're going to be standing here for the next ten minutes, Mary.

But this is a new theory to me.

- SUE:
- You're doing multiple scoring!
- Oh, yes.

This is one of the most monitored rolls in the history

of Swiss roll-making.

My Swiss roll technique did get a bit of abuse.

Mary, don't be inscrutable. Be loving, be loving.

- Leave him alone! Thank you very much indeed.
- Thank you.

With these knives being so sharp, I think I over scored it.

It's a little bit...

Argh!

I never had it cracking at home

so I think it is just one of the things, the tension in the tent.

- You know where you went wrong?
- Yes.

- Your theory of putting all those cuts across...
- All the way along.

I don't think it helps one little bit.

Iain wasn't the only one affected by first week nerves.

I've got the shakes.

I have never actually got nervous about anything before, I think,

until I started making that Swiss roll. My hands just started shaking.

I have never experienced that before.

- Stop shaking.
- Sorry.

- Stop shaking, it's OK. It's looking good.
- It's falling out!

My Swiss roll, it was awful.

Even I could see that it looked a little bit like it had

cat sick in it.

I tried to make it look better by putting an orange tree

on my Swiss roll in fondant.

It looked like something from the deep had come up

and grasped on to this Swiss roll and was going to pull it

back down into the depths of hell where it belonged.

I think I knew at that point that it was all

just going downhill from there.

The orange is coming through. The cream is a little bit non-descript.

I quite liked the cream.

You stand up for what you think is right!

You are wrong, but I'll tell you what it is,

the orange is so strong that no matter what you put with it,

it was going to get kicked into touch.

THUNDER RUMBLES

Things didn't get any better for Claire during the Showstopper.

Oh, Claire, look what you have done!

Absolutely no idea.

The challenge demanded 36 identical miniature cakes.

At home, I had spent a long time getting that recipe right.

But then on the day, I just don't know what happened.

I know I measured every...

Well, I do know what happened - I was rubbish!

I don't know how she is going to recover that.

I am making some lighter chocolate and cherry cake that I can

cut out into circles that will hopefully cook a tiny bit quicker.

It can happen to all of us at home in our own kitchen

and for it to happen when it is important, I felt sorry for her.

There was just chocolate and hundreds and thousands

and cherries and all sorts all over my desk.

- I mean, it looks a bit clumsy.
- They are both dry.

You do kind of think, "Is there a little pinprick of hope here?"

They might see some kind of creative or culinary expertise

in their midst of my disaster.

- But they didn't.
- Claire.

I'm so sorry, Claire. Come and have a massive sandwich.

Like, a big, big Mel-Sue sandwich.

One out of the 12 went,

the other 11 heaved a big sigh of relief that it wasn't them.

- All the best, guys.
- And to you, all the best.
- Good luck.

Throughout the series, the Challenge the bakers feared most...

I feel sick.

..involved a gingham cloth and a meagre set of instructions.

Technicals are like nothing else on earth.

They are your worst nightmare. They are just awful.

You are trying to sort of look through the cloth and try

and figure out what piece of equipment was there,

what the ingredients were, while you were waiting.

You really had to keep an eye on the instructions they give you.

The recipe is sparse.

They do give you everything you need if you read them

at least three times.

Well, it says "prepare the cherries".

We don't know what "prepare" means.

Does she mean wash? Does she mean cut?

See, there's the mystery. One egg white, beaten.

It's not in there.

My daughter said, "Treat it as if you are in a school exam

"and read all the question."

The challenges were not just tough,

they were recipes few of the bakers had ever heard of.

They were getting more and more obscure as the weeks went on.

So, bakers, you will be baking a Schichttorte.

- What?
- A Schichttorte.

- Well, they might make a good one. Who are you to say that?
- I know.

Listen, it is a little German tricky patisserie.

As usual, it is something that we have never heard of.

A Schichttorte was a German layered cake and there were a lot of layers.

20 layers?

But that wasn't the only unusual thing about the Schichttorte.

It is a grilled cake. That is going to be the tricky thing.

Who grills a cake? I mean, for God's sake.

I have got the grill on full whack so it should be pretty hot in there.

We needed the grill on for something like 45 minutes and for 20 layers.

I have got still ten layers to go.

I have already lost count of layers.

- 20.
- Yes!
- We are in, we are done.

- Let's get it in there.
- Boom!

Might not get 20. Who's counting? As if.

He is going to be counting, all right.

We are going to start with this one. Right...

Oh, he's actually counting them.

- Is he going to count all 20 on all of them?
- I need to brace myself.

He's Paul, that's what he gets fun from!

18 layers on that one.

Very, very good layers.

Life is too short.

Life is too short to count layers in cakes.

That's got 20!

As the challenges became more complicated, there was

one the bakers struggled even to pronounce.

What was it called? Oh, my God.

A Queen Aman.

Queen Amon?

Queen Aman. I still can't say it.

It is called a coo-gin aman. Is it?

Oh, the coogi... Kofi Annans!

- Kouign-amann.
- Kouign-amann.

- You know which country it's from?
- Breton.
- Breton isn't a country.

- Well, it used to be a... Whatever it was.
- Province?
- Province, thank you.

They used to have amazing lace

and they would wear Breton Coiffe, which are stiff...

Sorry, there's something happening.

..stiff lace hats and they would do special dancing.

But it was in European cake week that the trickiest technical

ever was crowned.

It is three layers of sponge, it is filled with creme pat and jam.

It has got a dome of whipped cream on the top.

On top of that, it has got some green marzipan

and don't forget a little rose plonked on the top.

Prinsesstarta, oh!

Amazing, amazing technical challenge,

one which I failed at miserably.

I'm quite far behind.

Speed is of the essence, my love.

You are doing well.

Some people are getting quite stressed.

This is not going to happen, is it?

- This is hilarious.
- I know, it's ridiculous.

I think if I try and cover it all in one go, it will just squidge.

Green marzipan - no. Don't do green marzipan.

Everyone called mine the bin lid because it was so hideous.

- I couldn't think of another way of doing it.
- I remember Kate's bin lid.

Poor thing, I think it haunts her nightmares.

It wasn't mean to say that because it's not a bin lid,

you know, it's just a hat.

Paul, Mary, a whole shed load of princesses await.

This one is more square, isn't it?

The marzipan has been put over not a very smooth top.

- The lid actually comes away from the base, look.
- Well spied.
- OK.

I think I should get a prize for the worst technical

- bake in the history of Bake Off.
- Interesting.
- And it is collapsing.

And the creme pat is not set.

- And once you cut the cake, it is not holding up.
- Yeah.

I can honestly say that I will never ever make one again.

When their baking knowledge let them down,

the bakers found a way through the technicals any way they could.

I absolutely looked at other people's technicals.

- Why wouldn't you?
- See what everyone else is doing.

The way the benches are arranged is that you are

always staring at the person in front of you, so it is only natural.

I have got a commanding view this time.

Last time I was at the front, last week. Better here.

You can see what is going on.

We heard a mention, "When in doubt, copy Nancy," and it bore true.

Clingfilm and then roll over the top of it.

You do know, by the way, that behind you is Richard

- and everything you do, he looks at you. He is your wingman.
- Yeah.

Listen, I'm just going to tell Richard

because it is easier than him just watching, OK? Is that all right?

Then he can get on.

Richard, I think, took advantage of me once or twice,

- but he was quite open about it.
- So, what has she done then?

Right, I'll tell you what Nancy has done.

- We are getting good length, aren't we?
- How much length do you want?

- Well, it needs to wrap...
- The same as Nancy's!

- It needs to wrap around, doesn't it?
- Stop looking over!

This is terrible - did you used to do this in your exams?

Of course I did.

The thing is, his will be better than mine, at the end of it.

- Listen, it's not a competition.
- SHE LAUGHS

Ooh, hang on...

..but there were times

when relying on the other bakers was more confusing than helpful.

If someone had to take something out of a proving drawer,

or pop it out the oven,

that period of just sitting and watching

to see who's going to crack first...

See, that's an hour. TIMER BEEPS

Someone's going to break the seal - someone's going to do it.

You've got to keep an eye out.

Jordan's taken his out.

Every time someone would break,

and then there'd be an avalanche of people...

..and one sneaky, clever person just waiting for an extra five minutes,

and they were the ones who usually won!

Are you just going to wait? Just hang on?

Till the last second.

Despite keeping a close eye on each other's techniques,

it soon became clear that all the bakers

had their own, very distinct style...

Yeah, I'm just flattening out the haggis

to go in the bottom of the pie.

I think, very definitely, each of us

brought our own backgrounds with us,

and used them as boons in the tent.

Normski, can you address the haggis?

Er, "Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,

"Great chieftain o' the puddin'-race!

"Weel are ye worthy o' a grace

"As lang's my arm."

I ken you're awfy smelly, but you'll soon be doon ma belly.

That's what made it so much of a fun competition -

if everyone came with the same baggage,

we'd all make the same cakes, wouldn't we?

..and Chetna's particular strength...

- Your spices, the volume of spices you put in there...
- Yeah.

..was frankly staggering.

..earned her a nickname.

Flavour Queen! Yes, yeah!

I'm doing white bread with onion and fresh curry leaves,

and a lot of spices.

Surprise, surprise!

Wonderful flavours, and they all blend together.

It was really lovely to hear it.

The first week, I think I made the cardamom in the Swiss roll...

I'm just using what I've grown up eating.

Home cooking, if you can say.

I just wasn't sure how it will be accepted.

The flavours are good.

The cardamom doesn't come through till you've just finished,

and it's just the right amount.

I felt a bit more confident the next week,

when I went in with the savoury biscuits, I remember.

It's really aromatic. They're great, aren't they?

The flavour of that carom seed as well - gorgeous.

SHE SIGHS

..and if Chetna was the Queen of Flavours,

Norman was the King of Simplicity...

I mean, I was brought up on cod's head broth

and brose and oatmeal, and that sort of stuff.

I thought pesto was very exotic!

I would be the first to admit the stuff was quite plain and simple.

If you opt to bake something simple, I think it HAS to be good.

These might be at the bottom of the list as far as taste is concerned,

but I like them.

..and he was right on the money

with his plain but elegant farthing biscuits...

It looks a lovely texture when you open it.

- I like them. I like that biscuit a lot.
- Thank you.

Very professional.

- I think the recipe, the way you've approached it...
- Uh-huh.

- You could sell those tomorrow.
- Thank you very much.

- I really believe you could sell them tomorrow.
- OK - at a farthing each!

LAUGHTER

SHE MOUTHS

He was always the person that I would go to

if I was ever feeling a little bit like it was all too much,

because he would be there with a plain shortbread

going, "It's going to be fine, Martha."

Then I'd be like,

"Anything I make is fine - it's all going to be great!"

..but it became impossible to keep it simple

AND meet Mary and Paul's high standards.

You kept it simple.

I think it's just a little bit simple.

You're playing it so safe that, actually, you're beginning to fail.

Poor guy - started off really basic,

and then one week they were all, "Go exotic, go exotic,"

and then one week he goes exotic,

he goes all out there with some lavender...

- This tastes of lavender!
- It does.

It really tastes...REALLY tastes of lavender.

Poor Norman!

He had three pies in a Pieffel Tower,

and he had a label on it, and everything,

and his own pottery displaying it.

He was telling me all about it, and I just thought, "That's a winner!

"It sounds right."

But I just think he just put that tiny bit too much in!

- I'll, try the meringue first.
- OK.

What's in that egg white?

- Lavender.
- Lavender?!

HE COUGHS

It's probably a little bit too powerful.

We all tasted a little bit of the lavender meringue

just to make sure that Paul and Mary weren't overexaggerating,

and we did all have to get a glass of water quite quickly!

- NORMAN:
- In retrospect, that was a big mistake,

and things might have turned out quite differently

if I hadn't done that.

Unlike Norman, Diana was never tempted to go exotic.

I was a traditional baker.

I think just to change - purely for the programme -

would have been a mistake.

The flavour of it is absolutely gorgeous.

The combination of the flavours is perfect,

and, actually, I think that is beautiful.

A good pudding, but not a saucy pudding.

- I think it's fine.
- Oh, that's fantastic!

I tell you what, I shall walk out of here on air!

The only problem with sticking to being traditional -

you've nowhere to hide.

You can't cover it in anything, you can't... It's what it is.

- The appearance is not very appealing.
- No.

If you were to take one of these

and get rid of all the extra bit off the side...

- SHE LAUGHS
- ..like that...
- Yes.

- See how much prettier that looks?
- Yeah.

You respect him as a judge,

and he didn't scare me at all.

You should've met some of the WI judges I met 50 years ago.

I still quake at the thought of them.

Diana, you are pushing the boat out with the old swan, aren't you?

Yeah. I am.

Is it going to wilt?

- No.
- Good.

It must not be a dying swan, Diana.

- No!
- Don't let it be a dying swan.

I was not happy with what I produced for the show,

and I was, I think, always expecting criticism.

They said I walked with my head down because I was defeatist.

I actually think it looks pretty good, actually.

- Thank you.
- Impressive.

- You should be very proud of yourself.
- Thank you.

- You always come to us with your head down...
- Sorry.

You need to start holding your head

- a little bit further up.
- Like a swan would.
- Yes!

You know what? It's this carpet.

I've had a new knee, and I've got those -

I call them "pumps", but they were trainers, weren't they?

And I wanted to look where I was going.

I didn't want to trip up with my Showstopper -

that would have been a Showstopper, wouldn't it, really?

The bakers not only brought their different baking styles

to the tent...

IT BEEPS I'm slightly scared by that - stun...

- 35.
- 35?!

..they also called upon a whole array of gadgets.

- Shall I do you?
- I don't know what I am...

- What do I do, just press...
- On my neck somewhere.

- ..press the button?
- Yeah.

- And let it go.
- IT BEEPS

- 35.1.
- I'm a bit hot.
- Very good.

- You're sending my temperature up just a wee bit.
- Hey, oh...

- That 0.1, that's what it is.
- By 0.1 degree!

Thanks, Norman.

I noticed quite a lot of gadgets around the kitchen -

I thought, "Wow, where did they get one of those from?

"Those people are custom-making equipment."

What the hell is that?!

- I commissioned this, this week.
- Who'd you commission it from?

Husband again.

I said, "I need something to make them look professional."

Essentially this is a biscuit iron maiden.

That's a skateboard!

What do you normally do, a sponge on a Segway?

Do you always serve things on a...?

I've done it on a Segway, yes. Now and again.

- You've got 36 of these pipettes...
- Yes.

Slightly medical.

I have here a guillotine.

- Erm, hang on...
- What's the guillotine for?

So, me cake lays there,

and then every one's cut in exactly the same place.

- My husband made it.
- It's very nice, I like that.

I have executed them very well, but I just hope today I can do it.

You're certainly going to execute some cakes with this, aren't you?

Yeah.

- NORMAN:
- It's a loose-bottom cake tin.

I made this thing with a couple of dowel rods.

- You just pop it on, and they all come out at the same time.
- Oh!

I'm sorry, I love that. Stormin' Norman.

- Thanks.
- Good man. I love your gadgetry.

I made a few bits and pieces.

I couldn't keep the construction out of my baking.

I can't help but notice, Richard,

that you've brought a little bit of your day job

to bear on today's bake.

Oh, yeah. It's the eclair stair.

I build stuff for a living.

It was fun to build stuff

and then stick a cake on top of it, it was lovely.

How do people think of these things?

I just don't know.

..but there was only one way to truly succeed in the tent.

Probably made this one about 20 or 30 times.

You've practised it 20 times?!

I haven't practised it - I've made it to eat!

That's fine.

I used to practise... Every waking minute, I was practising.

- CHETNA:
- Nancy just would practise again and again.

She had this thing of making it once before she came,

and then obviously in the week, as well - I just couldn't do it,

I just couldn't do it.

- MARTHA:
- It's hard, not knowing what it should be like.

I feel like how I feel in Technicals,

even though this is a bake that I could have practised!

Which isn't very good, cos I could've practised it.

You can do all the planning in the world,

but when you're out there covered in flour,

and there's sugar all over the floor,

sometimes you have to wing it.

MARY: Is it staying how it is, or are you having a syrup or -

- how are you finishing it?
- I'm... going to wing it again this week.

- You're going to wing it?
- I'll either do a syrup,

or I'll icing sugar it.

Dangerous thing, week six. Winging it.

The balance between playing it safe and being ambitious

is really difficult.

You only get one chance at the tent

and, unless you jump in with both feet,

then you're kind of missing your chance, aren't you?

Nancy decided to take a hi-tech risk

when it came to proving her fruit bread...

Microwave...

for five minutes on 10% power.

Amazing. I'm coming with.

How do you feel, my love?

Um...bit scared.

Quite a bit scared, because this could be my death knell.

- It's done.
- OK, right...

GASPS: It's twice the size!

..but would it impress Paul?

What you've got is something that's underproved.

- Or...
- Really?
- ..the proteins have indeed been damaged...
- Heck.

..and then it rips and falls apart.

With a microwave, just using 500g of flour,

you can feed an entire village.

They did like you to make everything yourself -

and not any shop-bought stuff.

Enwezor found that out to his cost.

- ENWEZOR:
- I think I've got, like, 80 biscuits cut out...
- 80?!

..and 80 fondant cut-outs, as well,

- to kind of intersperse stuff with, as well.
- Yeah.

- So...
- Are you making your own fondant?

Er, no. No, I'm not, no.

"Haven't made it?! What?!

"The fondant is shop-bought?!"

There's not much I can say.

Proper pregnant pause.

- MARY: Is this fondant in between?
- Fondant, yes.
- Yes.

"In my tent?!"

SHE TUTS

He did have a lot of fondant.

I would bet quite a lot of money

that Mary does not make her own fondant.

It's such a waste of time - I can't believe she'd ever do it.

I think it's always going through your mind -

"Am I using something here I shouldn't be using?"

Or, "Is this is a shop-bought item I'm using?"

But I was quite confident that I hadn't

because I'd made my own jam for the cakes in the first -

in fact, I'd gone the extra length

to get the seeds out of the raspberries

before I made the jam, so it was very good.

I did ask them if they thought the jam was all right -

they thought the jam was very nice, so...

But no amount of self-belief could prepare the bakers

for the reality of life in the tent.

It is really manic behind the scenes,

and the tension in the tent is unbelievable.

I feel under a massive amount of pressure.

Bake Off pushes you past your limits.

Everything is amplified in there...

Argh!

..and you have to concentrate for long, long periods of time,

and you're desperate to get everything right.

It's not a very hot deep-fat fryer,

and it's concerning, to say the least...

..and if I put more in, I lower the temperature.

I'm just going to have to...

I don't know what to do.

Argh! I don't know whether mine are going to be cooked.

- I feel like I've missed something.
- Yeah, I know!

HE LAUGHS

Perhaps in the confines of our own kitchen,

in our own surroundings, we can do everything great.

This tent does crazy things.

Where are the cherries?

I really don't know where those cherries have gone.

There's no cherries on the top - they have to be in there somewhere.

- There's a couple.
- There are very, very few cherries.

I don't know where they've gone.

Stuff just seems to disappear.

I keep placing my things...

Scissors, scissors, scissors.

Not sure if it's your brain is working so quickly

that you can't actually keep track of where you've put everything...

- What have you done?
- Some of them are fig, and some of them are apricot,

and it's meant to alternate...

But I think I've forgotten where I've put them. Oh, no!

- I have no idea.
- Um...smell them. Smell them.

Smell. Figure, apricot.

- Ooh, I've got flour in my nose, now.
- That's... That's just...

I'm just getting dough.

They were supposed to alternate,

and they were just all the same, in a row!

I don't think I've alternated them.

I think I might have had a mix-up with alternation.

- Oh, you've got two the same.
- Oh!

Oh, that's embarrassing.

There is definitely apricot in there somewhere!

Rip all the legs off!

- Oh, there's one.
- There's one.
- Got one.

Time just gets swallowed up.

It vanishes in the link of an eye.

One moment you've got 20 minutes left,

and the next moment you're done.

Are you staying on time?

Am I on time? I don't know.

I don't know whether I'm Arthur or Martha this afternoon.

Bakers of the 3-D Biscuit Challenge,

in terms of time dimension, you've got 30 left.

30 units of time - each unit being a minute...

in dimensional terms.

All you can see is the timer ticking down. Gosh.

You're halfway through - it's half-time.

Bring out the dancing girls and the orange segments!

I've got the shakes.

What do you mean, there've been budget cuts?

You start, and then somebody says, "Five minutes left!"

And you think, "What?!"

I'm up to the wire.

Come on, come on!

OK, bakers, halfway through.

Halfway through.

Certainly haven't got time to measure. That'll do.

Bakers, one minute left on the clock.

Hah!

- BOTH:
- Ten, nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four,

three, two, one...

Whatever pressure the bakers were under,

there was always some light relief in the shape of Mel and Sue.

Welcome to the 2014 Euro Bake Off.

Amsterdam, can we have your points, please?

- Amster...
- Hello, Melanie, and this is the Amsterdam jury.

I want to say thank you for having such a groovy show,

and everybody in the Netherlands really enjoying themselves tonight.

So, the votes from the jury -

we have British bakers with the 12 points.

Love Mel and Sue.

- MIMICKING KENNETH WILLIAMS: Ohh!
- Ohh!

- BOTH:
- So saucy!

I think they make the experience in the tent that much more special.

# Savoury biscuits

# I'm gonna sing it

# Savoury biscuits. # Sorry.

I needn't have baked - I just enjoyed their company!

It's not gone unnoticed

that you've been doing a little bit of semaphore in your, um...

- in your free time.
- Yeah, well, I was teaching them last night.

So, how would you semaphore "bake", for example?

- It's B...
- B.

- ..A...
- A.

- ..K...
- K.

- ..and E.
- You just made that one up!

They just magically appear from nowhere

when you kind of need them.

What are you making?

SHE LAUGHS

In no way is that legal.

In no way can we allow

that to be shown on television.

These remind me of 1988.

They make you feel ill if you look at them too long.

I know - I think it's the old glow stick...

They are the voice of reason in the Bake Off tent.

Without them, we would all be a quivering wreck.

- How's it going?
- Rubbish.

Martha, don't say that word!

They make it all a little bit less stressful, it has to be said...

- Any enjoyment in this, Luis?
- No, not really.
- No? OK.

..and every now and then they come round and say, "Come on.

"Come on - sort it out."

Is it Alien Autopsy Week?

It does feel a bit like that.

Just checking.

They really had a knack of, in your darkest moment in that tent,

of picking you up and reminding you that it's just a cake.

The nut's quite chunky - I don't know

- if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
- We love chunky nuts here.

You KNOW we love chunky nuts on Bake Off.

HE LAUGHS

That is one hell of a snake.

Mel and Sue do like to eat off your bench.

One, two, three...

They're like little mice that can eat a whole cake.

I'm going to go and get my other thingy.

- Yeah, and I'm going to...
- Eat!

- ..tidy up some of these.
- Do eat, please do!

I'd always try and leave some mixture in the bowl,

cos if you don't, they're always putting their fingers in.

Anything that you're going to use,

make sure you keep it within arm's reach,

because anything that was anywhere else,

as far as they were concerned, was theirs.

- That mousse is mine.
- Get off it!
- That mousse is mine.
- Get off it!

I can't believe you've given that to her!

That's mine, that mousse.

Give that back!

I want to get my spatula in there.

Get off!

- My mousse.
- I did a little netball thing, there...

- My mousse.
- Oi, that's mine!
- My mousse.

- Will I see it again? It's...
- SHE LAUGHS

It's in the lap of the gods, huh?

You did start to think, "Well, I've got the chocolate ganache,

"so I can just cover them in that if it never comes back!"

Got some.

I've got good news and bad news.

Good news, it's great.

Bad news, I've eaten it all.

No-one was safe when Mel developed a taste for pasties...

- Do you mind, Richard?
- Fill your boots.

- Fill my pockets.
- Fill your pockets.

- Can I take another one, Luis?
- Absolutely.

- Thanks, Luis.
- (For later.)
- Thank you.

Mel had never-ending pockets that week.

- Kate, would you mind?
- I wouldn't mind at all!

Who even fits seven pasties in their pockets?

There's no room in the pockets,

- so I'll just...
- Put it in your mouth.
- Eat it, yeah.

..and this year, more than ever, there was an awful lot worth eating.

MARY: What perfection. A sheer joy to look at.

It is very, very good. Well thought out. Well done.

Luis' dragon was a work of art.

A lot of Luis' bakes are works of art,

but that one in particular was incredible.

With the biscuits together,

and theming them with the characters, it's unbelievable.

- I'm running out of superlatives.
- Thank you!

- Well done.
- Well done.
- I'm flattered, thank you.

I spent so many hours drawing those templates,

and trying to get them to work, and get them all interlocking -

I couldn't believe it when it was all finished and there in the tent,

and it was almost like relief that it had all come together -

it was a tricky bake, that one.

- It's a great looking pie, that.
- It's lovely. Absolutely delicious.

Yeah, very good. I like the texture, I like the flavour, too.

Now, that's what I call a sauced pudding.

I think the standard WAS really high.

I would say that - I was in this year!

It did appear that we had some experts in that tent.

I like that a lot.

Mm, as a package, it's a very professional doughnut, actually.

- I think you've cracked it.
- I'll take that, I'm going to pocket that.

..and impeccable backing brought the ultimate accolade.

Our Star Baker is Nancy.

APPLAUSE

I thought I was an all right baker - you know, that's why I entered.

But then, to have national judges giving me Star Baker first week,

I thought, it doesn't get any better than this.

- Luis, you're our Star Baker.
- APPLAUSE

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

If there was only ever one week I wanted Star Baker,

it was bread week,

cos it's the thing that I really enjoy making the most.

Luis brought a Star Baker badge, and it was fantastic,

because he passed it on to the next Star Baker,

who passed it on the next Star Baker.

APPLAUSE

Well done, Kate!

I loved being Star Baker that week.

It was brilliant.

'But it was Richard who took Star Baker to a new level...'

Richard, you're Star Baker. Well done.

APPLAUSE

'..claiming the title not just twice...'

Richard, for the second time.

- Ooh, well done!
- APPLAUSE

Well done, Richard.

'..or three times...'

Keep the badge on, Richard.

'..or even four times,

'but a record-breaking five times.'

- Richard, congratulations. Well done.
- LAUGHTER

When I came into it, I thought, you know,

just being second from last every episode would be fine

to get me through to the final,

but, yeah, I'm not going to say I didn't enjoy getting Star Baker,

cos it was awesome. It was great.

All the bakers wanted to impress the judges

but, for some, Mary was more than just a judge.

Growing up watching Mary teach me kind of everything I know,

and learning from her recipe books and stuff,

to suddenly be making something that she's really going to eat...

It's like the tables have turned,

and I was really nervous about what she'd think about it.

When we first got married, we bought Mary Berry's cookbook,

and that's how I sort of got my fondness for cooking and baking,

and it was a great thrill to meet the lady herself -

and an even bigger thrill for her to praise something that I'd baked.

There was one sure-fire way to please Mary.

MEL: What are you going to fill these with?

I was going to fill them with Baileys.

Ohh...!

So, you'd have the little drink, and the you'd have the doughnut.

- Yeah.
- Ooh!

Oh-ho-ho!

- MEL: Happy days, eh?
- Here we go.

- LAUGHTER
- Here we go.

I mean, why are we bothering with the doughnuts?

LAUGHTER

Here you go. There you go, love.

- There you go.
- Cheers!
- Cheers.

- Wahey!
- Good health.

I always refer to Mary Berry, since I was on the show,

as a sort of cross between the Queen and your nan.

- I'm quite happy with the cinnamon...
- Mm-hm.

- ..because, between you and me, I'm not that fond of dates.
- OK.

You've been consistent - they're ALL a little bit overcooked, but...

LAUGHTER

..we will get a lovely, crisp pastry from it.

Mary would always find something really nice about what you'd done.

And these little twirls - I do like the inventive idea.

Even if it's just like, "I like your plate,"

it's better than nothing.

I love the flavour of that.

The cherries, the chocolate, goes well together.

He's something up his sleeve to say to you.

Your choice of flavours for the inside

- I think are wrong.
- Oh.

Paul just comes across as sort of a slightly grumpy bloke -

ever so slightly like your dad when you're small.

It IS burnt. That annoys me.

STIFLED LAUGH

Um...

It's welding my mouth shut.

I'm from an era where you don't answer back,

so you just take it on the chin, you know?

Do better next time.

And there was one particular baking discipline

which saw Paul at his most exacting.

MARY: I know Paul was thinking there might be a gap

between the ham and the bread.

There is no gap...

because the inside is raw.

- It's raw?
- What?!

He can just look at the bread and say how long it's proved for,

there's too much water, or, you know, too much heat.

That's an indication that the yeast hasn't reached its full potential

before you put it in the oven.

The reason it flattens out is down to the mixing.

You haven't built up the gluten strong enough.

Raw inside. That is going to have a few issues.

Paul IS like a bread psychic. Yeah, definitely.

- RICHARD:
- If he came up and saw what you were doing,

anything he said, you knew there was going to be a lesson in there.

So, you're going to bring your dough out and pop it into all that flour.

Do you not think that's a little bit excessive?

- Nice technique.
- Yeah?
- Unusual.

Good or bad unusual?

I've never seen rolls made like that before.

Using cocoa or chocolate in the pastry to turn it brown,

how do you know when it's actually baked?

Because obviously baklava's all about the flake,

- and the crispiness.
- Yes. Yes.
- How do you know?

- By eye.
- Sometimes your eyes can kid you.

You could see the doubt creeping into the minds

of some of the other bakers, as he walked over.

I noticed, sometimes, he'd walk away with a wry smile on his face.

He just has a habit of getting right under your skin,

and then exposes all your weaknesses.

- When you put them into the oven, are you expecting a shine?
- Yes.

- Are you going to use water?
- I've got an egg wash to put on the top of it.

- Makes it a bit shinier.
- That's very daring.

- Is it?
- Yeah.

- Very.
- Oh...

Daring, to put an egg wash on?

Yeah... I won't tell you why, I'll talk about it later,

but - good luck.

He didn't say whether it was good or bad -

I didn't know what the right answer was, so you just doubt everything

you're going to do from that point onwards.

I'm panicking about everything.

I know - and then, I'm putting an egg wash on mine,

and they were like...

He was like, "I'm not going to tell you why, but that's a bad idea."

- Did he?
- And I was like...

What do you do, then?

I'm going to do it anyway.

Because you put the glaze on the top,

which has falsely accused the roll of being ready...

- Yes.
- You've brought it out too early.
- OK.

Now I know that you should never do that if it's a rye roll,

because it will "falsely accuse the roll of being ready"!

SHE GIGGLES

That is burned into my memory now - I will never do it again.

In the heated atmosphere of the tent,

it seemed that catastrophe was never far away.

- JORDAN:
- If it CAN go wrong in the tent, it WILL go wrong in the tent.

- CHETNA:
- I can smell something burning.
- Yeah!

HE SNIFFS

When something goes wrong, you just don't want anyone to know.

- GASPS:
- It's mine!

OK, do that again, then. Thank you!

Unfortunately, that is not the case,

because there are cameras everywhere.

- RICHARD:
- The tarte au citrons are a disaster.

Welded.

Whoo!

Starting again.

Oh, no!

That's not good.

My pears in pastry, I think...

I think I got a full house of things wrong.

I think I undercooked the pear, overcooked the pastry,

and burnt the syrup.

Ooh!

There it goes.

I will always remember when I took my massive chorizo pie

out of its massive mould,

and I thought it just had a little leak in the oven,

cos I could see fat dripping out, and I took of the mould,

and it just gushed out.

Oh, my goodness!

- Martha, what's going...? Oh!
- It's having a plumbing problem!

We've got a little bit of weepage there.

It was a river of pork fat, and it was gross.

Crikey, it was a massive, delicious pie full of pork.

I'd have still eaten it!

In fact, I did.

HE CHUCKLES

There was one bake more disastrous than any...

Probably the biggest thing that's ever happened on the Bake Off.

..the baked Alaska.

Baked Alaska Week is known among all of us bakers as "the Bincident".

It's a sponge base and ice cream, so what can possibly go wrong?!

It was REALLY hot that day.

It's so hot!

The whole weekend was so bizarre, because of the meltiness -

it was 40-odd degrees in the tent, it was totally crazy -

everything we did was melting.

Is it frozen, Norm, yeah?

Yeah, it's frozen, but it's melting very quickly.

Everyone was running round like headless chickens,

trying to put ice cream into any cold space they could find.

- CHETNA:
- I need to go in the freezer - freezer, freezer, please, freezer.

I was having my own meltdown, with my ice cream.

It'll be all right, it'll be all right.

Now it's all melting. The whole thing's melting.

DIANA: No-one's ice cream was setting.

- Ugh...
- What's up?
- Not frozen.

You're joking.

The freezer I was using was quite packed with everyone's ice cream,

and the door was being opened and closed a lot,

so I decided to use a space on the other side of the tent,

in another freezer.

Can I put this in the freezer?

I took it out of the freezer.

Whose is this?

Iain's, I think.

That's Iain's.

I assumed he had his own freezer.

I went back over just to check how the ice cream was setting,

and my ice cream was sitting at the end of someone's bench.

Where's my ice cream?

It's here - sorry, Iain, we...

Argh!

How's it looking?

Look.

- It's soup.
- The only real reason why it's staying there

is because I put the tin round to hold the caramel in.

Eurgh...

OK, all right, so, let's think about how we're going to present that.

Um... That's not... OK.

- I've got a serving suggestion.
- All right.

- SHE SIGHS
- Oh...

No, no, no, you can't...!

Iain, Iain, Iain, you have to...

Look at it - you can't present it.

It kind of happened, and then he left the tent,

and it kind of rippled around, and everyone was really upset.

He threw it in the bin.

- Iain had to throw his in the bin.
- He didn't!

I think he kind of regretted it straight away,

but it was done, and it was too late.

Ngh!

Just when something like that goes catastrophically wrong at that time,

it's hard to see a way out of it.

Iain, are you OK?

Yeah, I'm fine.

Of course, I didn't do it maliciously.

I wouldn't dream of sabotaging someone else's bakes.

Um, I had some issues with the ice cream...

- Yeah.
- ..and I let the frustration of that get the better of me.

OK.

- Did you have a problem with your sponge?
- No.

- Did you have a problem with your meringue?
- No.

- Did you have a problem with your ice cream?
- Yes.

So, where's your sponge? In there?

- Mm-hm.
- We could've tested that.

- Yeah, I know, I didn't cope with the situation very well.
- OK.

- I think you know that it got the better of you.
- Mm.

- It was just a moment of your life that you want to forget.
- Yeah.

- Is that right?
- It is. I regret it.

Because, you know, we all make mistakes,

and we would have liked to see that sponge.

Diana was more upset than me. I didn't hold any grudge against her.

DIANA: You think, "Oh... Oh, dear me."

Did it make that much difference to his ice cream?

'In total, Iain's baked Alaska was out of the freezer

'for under a minute.'

Me not presenting something, I think,

was the reason I went home that day.

- MARTHA:
- He was angry for about five minutes, and then he was gutted.

He was like, "What have I done?!"

I was really sad for Iain,

because I do think that if he hadn't done that,

he'd have probably got through the week,

because the judges would still have tried it.

I still get people shouting across the street at me,

"Bincident" and "Bingate" and "Baked Alaska", as well.

I don't even like baked Alaskas!

Three bakers survived the triumphs and disasters

to get through to the 2014 Bake Off final.

Luis managed to fuse creativity...

This is multitasking!

..with a meticulous sense of order.

He's very organised. Like a maths teacher - like this!

And I'm thinking, "That's where I'm going wrong."

This is like your in-tray of sponge, isn't it?

- It is.
- In-tray, out-tray.

You like all this - the organisation bit - don't you?

- I do, yeah.
- You do!
- I do.

- I know you do!
- I know!

I really wanted to get to the Dobos tarts,

and I did that as a -

it's a place you can visit near where I live called The Cage -

and it's my wife's favourite place to go,

so I really wanted to make that.

What can I say?

It is a monumental effort.

- It is spectacular - it's what I call a Showstopper.
- Thank you very much.

'Luis got it perfect with his bread rolls.'

- I like that.
- Mm.

Pure alchemy.

I was thinking too many flavours but, actually...

- Well done, Luis.
- Wow, thank you very much!

He called them alchemy, which is just, like, fantastic,

and he shook my hand, and...

God, I think I giggled - it's really embarrassing, looking back!

You know, but it was such a nice thing for him to do,

because, you know, things like that are what matters,

if you're really into baking.

Richard's selection of Star Baker awards

was only matched by his collection of pencils...

He was a resource.

Richard, can I use...?

Thank you.

SHE CHUCKLES

..and Richard shone best

when the challenges called for precision and delicacy.

It takes a lot of guts to be able to show all the layers.

That is extremely good.

Your consistency is perfect.

What a professional selection you done for us.

The ever-consistent Nancy developed a special relationship

with a certain Mr Hollywood.

Paul, yeah - not "male judge".

What did the male judge say?

You know when I said, "I'm '70s"...

- Did you just say "the male judge"?
- Yes.

- And he said...
- You're not even calling him Paul, now!

You know when the male judge said...

'I'd forgotten it, I'd forgotten it.'

That's how I was referring to him outwith the tent,

and I'd forgotten that I was IN the tent...

Nancy, if you'd like to come and present to Mary and the male judge.

..and Sue just picked it up and ran with it.

I think he referred to me as "the female contestant" in the end.

What kind of faces are you going to pipe?

Well, I thought about grey, spiky hair and piercing blue eyes...

- Right.
- ..and then a sort of a smile...
- A smile?
- ..but...

- Sort of like a male judge?
- A sort of a male judge.

But like a fictional male judge, because the real male judge...

- Doesn't smile.
- Never smiles.

They're getting at you. THEY LAUGH

There are some dark ones up there.

Did you find that you were getting it regular in colour?

They all look all right to me.

Would you say if they didn't?

Of course!

You know, he can bake bread, but he can't bake everything.

I've never seen a wedding cake he's made, have you?

LAUGHTER

With nine weeks survived, and 27 bakes to their name,

Nancy, Richard and Luis had one last chance to bake their way to glory.

The final weekend was a bit of a blur, really.

It was so emotional, as well, you know?

All our friends and family were here,

and it just really did make it quite difficult.

- NANCY:
- On the final morning,

I needed to leave home at 11 o'clock to get the train,

so, because it was a five-hour challenge, I thought,

"I'm going to give it one more go,"

so I got up at half past four and worked from five till ten,

and then got ready, came down here, and did it again on the Sunday.

I'm trying not to think about the fact that it's a final,

and you could win it, at the moment.

By the time I got to the final,

I had won Star Baker a record-breaking five times!

I did feel a weight of expectation.

Is anyone else in a silent panic, or is it just me?!

Constant, constant - I wonder how long I'll be able to keep it up.

That is one hell of a cake.

They're like tyres, aren't they?!

- Yeah!
- But not rubbery.

'Their Showstopper demanded an elaborate patisserie centrepiece

'called a piece montee.'

The final Showstopper was really, a really difficult bake,

and I think, for me personally,

I was probably a bit too ambitious on it.

If I can get this in how I want it to, I'll be happy, definitely -

but, flipping 'eck.

You're just in a zone.

I was just absolutely in an zone,

I had no idea what was going around me.

Me hands won't keep still, cos they're too nervous.

Oops!

'Every available minute was utilised.'

Not having it.

OK, my love, the cake colliery is nearly complete.

God!

Oh, no...

Nancy and Richard both did windmills,

and I felt a little bit left out, because I was thinking,

"Was the brief to do a windmill, here?!"

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

I knew the only way I was going to win

was if both Luis and Nancy set their cakes on fire,

and, you know, you wouldn't wish that on anyone, would you?!

I think, when you got to the final three,

they were all so talented

that any of them could've seized it on the day.

It wasn't clear who was top, who was going to be bottom -

you just didn't know.

Paul and Mary have made their decision,

and I'm delighted to announce

that the winner of the Great British Bake Off 2014 is...

..Nancy.

CROWD CHEERS

Nance, come here! Well done!

Nancy's track record was just solid.

She barely ever slipped up, so she just -

she had this grounding about her.

Can you believe it?!

She was always steady, never flustered...

She put in so much effort into the whole process.

- RICHARD:
- She was always either excellent, or achieved benchmark,

and that told in the end - she was brilliant.

- DIANA:
- I was very pleased

for the more mature lady to have won Bake Off!

And I'm going to get some flak about that, aren't I?!

So, since leaving the tent,

how has life changed for these three finalists?

Getting onto Bake Off was one thing but then what's happened afterwards

has opened up a world to me that I could've only dreamed of.

- LUIS:
- When I entered the Bake Off,

I just entered to have a bit of fun, you know?

I never did it with a view to a career change,

which is ultimately what it's led to.

- RICHARD:
- Following this, I've kind of achieved, like, the perfect balance.

I'll do maybe two or three days a week of baking,

and then come back to work for two or three days,

just to try and work it off, to be honest!

Richard now combines his job as a builder in the family firm

with baking.

Today, he's showing off his skills at a food festival in Oxfordshire.

This certainly brings back memories, doesn't it?

Making bread in a tin.

Bake Off has certainly enriched my life.

I think it hasn't just given me opportunities,

it's given me a lot more confidence

to kind of jump on things and have fun with it.

Mr Richard Burr!

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Today we're making challah - challah's a Jewish bread.

I've been making this for years.

I know they normally say stick your hands in it

and get your hands dirty but, as a builder,

I've kind of tried to keep my hands clean most of the time,

so I like to start my kneading off with a spatula.

Following the show, I was pretty lucky -

I got offered to do a book, which was great.

I got to spend the whole of the winter,

rather than being outside fixing roofs,

staying in a kitchen, cooking all my favourite food!

Being on Bake Off has inspired Luis to inspire others,

by becoming a professional teacher.

When I was on Bake Off, I kind of got known for my design skills,

I suppose, and I'm really picky on how I want things to look,

and how I do things,

and that's kind of one of the things that I now teach people.

The way it works is, I'll do something, and then you guys do it.

You can ask me anything you like, it's fine -

within reason!

We're going to be doing pastry today -

I do some other courses, as well.

That's it - unroll it over the tin.

- Oh, gosh, my tin's too big.
- That's all right.

It's really good fun and, you know what?

It's just really satisfying, being able to show people how I do things.

It looks like it's leaked around the edge, so...

and if one of yours is better, I'll just swap, anyway,

- so it doesn't matter!
- LAUGHTER

Since winning the competition, Nancy has been busier than ever.

In fact, her victory has brought her out of retirement.

I have to be honest, I didn't really enjoy retirement.

I'd worked all my life and then, when it came, I didn't like it,

so I've been given an enormous gift -

doing something that I absolutely, passionately love.

Today, Nancy's headed to East Yorkshire

to judge a cake competition...

The standard here is really good,

so I think the judging's going to have to be pretty harsh

to sort them out, because they all look absolutely amazing.

..and not content tasting other people's recipes,

Bake Off has encouraged Nancy to get busy writing her own.

I decided when I won Bake Off

that I would start to write a recipe a day.

At some point, I will write a book.

What I would like to see it being, in years to come,

is a tatty old thing on the shelf with no spine left on it,

but that somebody says, "Oh, this book? Yeah, my mother gave me this."

That would be my ultimate dream.

Those lucky few who make it into the tent

may come for the chance to raise the glass stand,

but the taste of success isn't just about the winning.

I think the reason we all loved Bake Off so much

was that we all became really close friends.

Just one on each is fine. Thanks so much, you guys.

There are so few people who have walked through those doors.

You know, something so unique, so magical,

that you can never experience again.

- My God, woman!
- I know.

You've got the face of a wood nymph and the body of Ryan Gosling.

Look at that!

It was just the most intense, most stressful...

Gah!

..most crazy, most brilliant thing I've ever done.

Are you a pie or a tart?

- Oh, a tart.
- Yeah, I'm a tart, as well.

IAIN: It's bigger than your head!

- JORDAN:
- It is!

Oh, yeah, of course I'm in an exclusive club,

being one of the bakers.

I like to hang on to that. I wear it like a badge of honour.

It's something I can be really pretentious about at dinner parties.

BANGING

Sorry.

- Not putting you off, am I?
- No, not at all.

You're trying to learn from me, aren't you?

I don't think there's many days go by that I don't think about it,

in some way, shape or form.

Done. Oh, I love it, Nance!

HE CHUCKLES

I still have the schedule stuck on my fridge at home -

it's never moved.

- It looks like he's making darts.
- I'm taking out the judges today.

- CHETNA:
- Bake Off has definitely changed my life.

The oven doesn't stop, really.

Am I showing a bit?

I would say that since the Bake Off, I've got a bit more adventurous,

and I'm baking more sort of stuff.

A nice finish.

I kind of came to the Bake Off and left with 11 great friends.

Come on, Diana.

High-five me.

Can I do it again, please?!