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

The nation’s most famous tent was pitched in the grounds of Welford Park once again. Presenters Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond came to lead the latest batch of 12 bakers through thirty brand new challenges set by Judges Paul Hollywood and Nigella Lawson, in ten episodes.

In Tuesday’s night’s episode of The Great British Bake Off on Channel 4,  Connie was named Star Baker and sadly Yannis was the fifth baker to leave the 17th Series. 

In Week 5 it was Dessert Week in the Bake Off tent! And for the first time ever, the Bakers faced a staggered-start Signature, with self-saucing puddings. The Gingham Pantry was back as Nigella set the Technical Challenge, with a traditional British classic. And for the Showstopper, it was a trip down memory lane as the Bakers dusted off their dessert trolleys and attempted to serve up a selection of classic retro puddings.

At the end of the fifth episode Noel announced that Connie was Star Baker and Alison had the difficult job of telling Yannis that he would be leaving the tent, 

Yannis said: ‘Thank you, it has been a pleasure. I grew up watching this programme and being here for five weeks is surreal.   I will be very proud of that and it’s been absolutely wonderful.’

Here Yannis talks about his time in the tent:

Overall what was your standout moment in the Tent?

Getting to hug Nigella and Paul! I mean, how many people can say they’ve done that?! Forget the cakes — I think I’d already won at that point..

Favourite challenge overall and why.

Definitely the Signature cheesecake challenge in Audience Choice Week because I got to do it with my sister! Baking has always been something we’ve shared, so getting to have her there and bake alongside her in the actual Bake Off tent was incredibly special. It’s one of those memories I’ll keep forever.

Least favourite challenge and why?

The Technicals! I’m someone who likes to plan, practice and know exactly what I’m doing, so being handed a mysterious recipe sometimes with no recipe at all or with half the instructions missing is basically my worst nightmare. I aged approximately five years during every Technical.

Can you describe how it felt when the Noel or Alison announced that you would be leaving the tent? How did your fellow Bakers cheer you up?

It was definitely bittersweet. I was heartbroken to leave my Bake Off family, but there was also a strange sense of relief. Filming incredibly long hours in a challenging tent while juggling my full-time job often doing 12 hour shifts and nights was exhausting, so my body was definitely ready for a break! Everyone surrounded me with hugs and so much love, and then I flew to Spain for my best friend’s wedding the next week — which was probably the perfect way to soften the blow!

Funniest moment in the tent?

Probably hand-feeding Alison cherries! I’m not entirely sure how it happened, but one minute I was competing on Bake Off and the next I was feeding Alison Hammond like a Roman emperor. Not quite the baking career I’d envisioned, but definitely a highlight!

Would you wear any of Noel’s jumpers or shirts?

Absolutely! Some of them are completely bonkers, which makes me want them even more. I’m not sure I could pull them off quite like Noel, but I’d give it a very enthusiastic go. 

Did you do anything daft with Noel during your time in the tent, and did you get to either sing or dance with Alison?

Plenty! Noel has a wonderful ability to appear at your bench at the worst possible moment and somehow drag you into complete nonsense. And of course I danced with Alison — putting the two of us together and expecting us not to dance was never going to happen.

What do you love most about all your fellow bakers?

How completely different we all are, yet somehow we fit together perfectly. Everyone brought their own personality, story, humour and style of baking into the tent. There was never any hesitation to help, hug or encourage someone who was struggling. They genuinely became family.

Did anything from the tent happen to slip into your bag when you were leaving the tent? (no judging)

Nice try! I can neither confirm nor deny the existence of any Bake Off contraband… although I may have left the tent with slightly more than just my suitcase and emotional baggage.

What will you take away from your experience on Bake Off and do you feel that you have learned new skills?

So much more than baking. I came away with new skills, more confidence in myself and some genuinely lifelong friendships. It taught me to trust my instincts, take criticism, laugh when things go completely wrong and keep going. Most importantly, I came away with a whole new Bake Off family.

Would you encourage other home bakers to apply for the next series?

One hundred percent — APPLY! Don’t wait until you think you’re “good enough”, because I don’t think any of us ever truly feel ready. If you love baking and have a story to tell through it, take the chance. Filling out that application could genuinely change your life.

What’s next for you in the baking world?

I’d love to give my baking a bigger purpose. As a doctor, children’s health is incredibly important to me, and I feel deeply about the number of children around the world who still go hungry every day. I’d love to use baking to raise money and awareness for childhood hunger — if something I love doing can help put food on a child’s plate, that would mean far more to me than just making a beautiful cake.

Biography

28

London

Paediatric Doctor

Yannis is challenging the stigma that Bangladeshi men don’t belong in the kitchen, one pastry at a time! Working in a busy NICU, he loves how a cake can bring joy to the ward and has won over the nurses with his bakes. Born in Vienna before moving to London aged 11, Yannis’ baking has been influenced by many food cultures. His first baking memory is making Bhapa Pitha with his grandmother, while his school days introduced him to classic Austrian treats. Watching Bake Off also helped Yannis learn English, making the show especially close to his heart. Outside the kitchen, he is also a Bhangra dancer, and his wedding shimmy has become legendary! For Yannis, baking and medicine have a lot in common: both are about caring for people.

Comedian Jon Richardson hosts the brand new Great British Bake Off spin-off show, Second Helpings, alongside regular guest Judi Love. This week they are joined by Joel Dommett as well as former baker Ruby Bhogal to discuss all things pudding… or should that be dessert?

Applications are now open for Series 18 of The Great British Bake Off. To apply, go to applyforbakeoff.co.uk.