The Great British Bake Off: the seventh baker leaves the tent

11 November 2020

In Tuesday’s night’s episode of The Great British Bake Off on Channel 4, Hermine was named Star Baker and Lottie, was the seventh baker to leave the tent.

It was a throwback to baking time past in week seven and it was a Bake Off first for the Bakers: 80s Week. First up they had to put their twist on the classic Quiche for the Signature Challenge.  And next a technical that was everyone’s favourite retro sweet treat – custard doughnuts. Finally, a showstopper that tested the baker’s ability to stay cool as the temperature in the tent heated up, when they had to produce Ice Cream cakes.   

The Baking 80s were not a great time for Lottie as at the end of the seventh episode Matt announced that Hermine was the Star Baker and Noel had the really tough job of telling Lottie that she would be leaving the tent. 

On hearing she was leaving Lottie said: ‘It’s like a massive release, but obviously I am gutted. I literally had packed two outfits, and here I am in Week 7 wearing everyone else’s clothes. I cannot believe the stuff that I have done. I got a handshake and a Star Baker - maybe I can bake.

Here Lottie talks about her experience:  ‘Well I think the Curse of the Star Baker truly struck – it really did!  I had run out of oomph by that stage, and I knew it was my time to go. I knew a 100% before it was announced that it would be me leaving and I think all the other Bakers were fully aware.  I was ready to go, I had packed to go home, and I couldn’t imagine a better group of people to leave in the tent to carry on the baking.

‘I had absolutely no idea that I would get that far - I had packed for three episodes, so after Week 3 all my clothes were borrowed. I genuinely never thought I would make it beyond that time, so to get to Episode 7 was beyond my wildest baking dreams.  And I felt that leaving at that stage and getting Star Baker the week before,  I could walk out of the tent feeling I had achieved more than I thought possible.

‘Getting Star Baker in Japanese week, of all the weeks!  – I was really shocked.  I did a lot of research on Japanese baking and I did some background reading, I got really into it.  We were all learning new techniques, and it felt the playing field was a bit more level, as we were all unsure of what we were facing.   I will take it, thank you.

‘I was born in 1988, and I am technically an 80s child so the 80s Baking week in the tent should have been good for me but it didn’t happen that way.  I would have been about 6 when I saw ET, and I have fond memories of going to see it.

‘Baking a full English Quiche for the first challenge went ok, and there was a bit of competition with Dave as we had both opted for the same recipe.    Paul announced that he didn’t like black pudding and neither did Prue.  But at the end, they were very complimentary about my pastry, and that challenge was fine.

‘Deep frying for the Technical for the custard doughnuts when it was 40 degrees in the tent was so stressful, and we had frozen tea towels to put around our neck to try and keep cool. I was really chuffed that I had made a doughnut, as I hadn’t made one before.   The judges said they were over cooked.

‘I had enjoyed the Technicals previously, because we couldn’t prepare for them.  I liked the challenge, as Bakers we were all in the same boat, or tent!  No one was able to practice the technical or research it.

‘The melting ice cream was a disaster.  Basically I changed the design of my Showstopper the day before, I wanted it to be an 80s cassette tape.  I decided to make soft serve ice cream to go round the outside, but it just totally melted, all on my bench, all on the floor, everywhere! By the time it came to judging it looked awful and I was absolutely mortified.  I looked at it and thought really I could have come up with something cleverer than that.

‘It really boosted my confidence getting positive feedback from Prue.  Baking for Prue was a dream come true, the fact that she tasted my food and liked it, and was really supportive in her feedback which was lovely.  She is like the perfect headmistress and I just wanted to do her proud.

‘Also, Paul said in his judging on Episode 6 that he hadn’t tasted a Japanese sponge like that since he was in Japan, so that was pretty good to hear.

‘When Mark went home, we were genuinely devastated.  We stayed up late and the bakers all said such lovely things about him, it ended up being such a good night.  It sounds such a cliché, but we were living cheek by jowl, and I lived with them for a month, so our closeness was so tight as we were together for a lot of the time.

‘I spend my life being backstage I don’t chase the limelight, so waking up that first morning when we were announced and seeing my face on the front page of a newspaper was a shock to say the least and I had to start getting used to it.  Social media has been generally positive and the rock and metal community have been hugely supportive.  Vikings have come out of the woodwork [who go to Viking festivals, and have Viking Tattoos]  and they have championed me throughout, although it’s not a world I am that familiar with.  Also the am dram world has taken me on as one of their own and been rooting for me.

‘The Bakers – I genuinely know that I will stay in touch with these guys, it’s not a throwaway line.  I will be watching them every week, encouraging them and catching up with them.  I bake something to fit in with the theme of the week. 

‘The longer I was in the tent the more I felt I was ready to go.  We were all so tired, but the friendships became closer and carried us through.  I am rarely emotional but when it was announced I was leaving, it was like a barrier being lifted.  All the feelings I had been keeping in - it felt it was kind of ok finally to let go a bit and show some emotion.

‘Workmates and friends have been watching it.  Not that many people knew that I could bake and enjoy baking, so they have been great.  They made hashtag Lottie badges, bunting.  And also the kindness of strangers, including metal heads has been so good, and they have said they want to have a go at baking.  Those were the messages that I appreciated the most.

‘I am not sure what is going to happen to pantos this year.  I am unemployed at the moment as a producer, but my colleague and I are now thinking of something innovative to put on this Christmas, possibly streaming something.  We are trying to adapt to the new climate, as the theatre industry is struggling.

‘I loved watching the crew in the tent, I am used to being around production, and it helped settle my nerves and that for me was a real highlight.  It’s kind of what I do for a living so to be part of that process in the tent was something I really loved.

‘The worst moment overall for me was being in the tent coping with the heat, on the really hot days we had this summer.   It was so hard to concentrate and we were all getting tired.  Best moment was when Prue told me that I’d proved her wrong!

‘GBBO has definitely given me more confidence. I wouldn’t have dreamed of doing something like this a couple of years ago but all of the production team, and family and friends gave me the confidence to go ahead with it and I’m so glad I did. I CAN BAKE after all.

‘I am not sure what is next for me in the baking world, but anything from day 1 was a bonus for me. Having said that, me and Mark have been talking about the possibility of doing our own show, touring in a camper and eating cake around the US which would be incredible if we can pull it off - if anyone wants to pay us to eat cake we’ll do it all day long.'

Lottie will join Jo Brand and Tom Allen on The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice on Friday 6

November Channel 4 at 8.00 pm. 

 

Lottie, 32, West Sussex

Pantomime Producer

Lottie’s Lancastrian great-grandmother was a fervent cake-baker – and for this reason Lottie believes that baking is in her blood. She has always had a fascination with cooking: when she was little, she watched cooking shows rather than playing with her toys and was often to be found making notes from cookery books. She calls herself a ‘perpetually frustrated perfectionist’ and, while her baking has become more refined over time, she hopes it retains an element of her dark sense of humour. When she’s not baking or busy with her job producing pantomime, Lottie will be playing computer games with her young cousins, or practising yoga.

Pictures:  Duncan Webb at C4.      DWebb@channel4.co.uk

Issued by shelagh@shelaghpymm.co.uk; and amanda@consolepr.co.uk

A Love Production for Channel 4.

 

 

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Have you got what it takes to bake in the tent?   We’re looking for the next batch of bakers for the twelfth series of The Great British Bake Off. If you or someone you know is a talented home baker then apply now at www.applyforbakeoff.co.uk or call 0207 067 4837 for an application form. 

Closing date for applications is 23.59 on Sunday 6th December 2020. GOOD LUCK!

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