Bake Off final – as it happened: Rahul triumphs and the four other talking points
Until next year, Paul, Prue, Noel and Sandi
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Your support makes all the difference.Another year, another series of The Great British Bake Off comes to an end.
Despite having multiple catastrophes over the course of the final, Rahul managed to win Paul and Prue's adoration to be named this year's champion. Ruby and Kim-Joy tried their hardest, keeping cool heads throughout, but neither had quite the culinary flair of the winning baking wizard.
The Independent live-blogged along with the episode, which you can read below. Before that, here are the five biggest talking points from the episode.
Rahul's showstopping nightmare
While he may have eventually created a stunning showstopper (made to look like a rock garden), Rahul's final bake got off to a horrific start: a glass jar exploded at his workstation because of the heat, contaminating his ingredients and meaning he had to start all over again. Luckily, Paul and Prue offered him an extra 15 minutes to complete the 200 components required to make the showstopper. Talk about pushing yourself.
The wood-fire technical challenge
For apparently the first time in Bake Off history, the finalists' technical challenge did not take place in the tent, but outside. Under the blazing summer sun, the trio made pitta bread. And under the blazing summer sun, they all struggled, particularly Rahul who didn't quite understand how to manage the fire. When Kim-Joy came out the winner of the technical challenge, she seemed a sure-fire hit to take home the winner's trophy. Of course, her Atlantis-inspired showstopper couldn't top Rahul's (with Paul calling her's "slightly flat").
Ruby, what happened?
Ruby came into the final a firm favourite to win, having astonished the judges by taking home Star Baker the previous two weeks. However, an unfortunate tasting doughnut to start the final, following by last place in the technical, and Ruby was at the bottom of the pack. On the plus side, if any of these finalists are to become a media personality in the near future, it'll no doubt be the charming Ruby.
Another Rahul misstep
Yes, we've spoken about Rahul's disastrous smashed glass incident, and his inability to keep a fire going. But lest we forget that the eventual winner also managed to burst his icing bag while filling up a doughnut, leaving behind a fruity mess. It's bewildering that Rahul has managed to look after himself in the real world at this point.
And that's that
Every time The Great British Bake Off comes to an end the waterworks start going. There are tears galore on screen, and occasionally even some at home. Perhaps the most heart-wrenching moment this year was Rahul's calling his proud mother to say he won. A lovely moment to end the series on. Until next year, Paul, Prue, Noel and Sandi.
Read along as it happened with our live-blog below. Please allow a moment to load.
Bake Off returns next year on Chanel 4.
How hot should they have the oil! Now this... this is nerve-racking television.
Everyone's messing up. Rahul's are slightly burnt, Ruby's are misshapen, and Kim-Joy's struggling.
RAHUL! His packet's burst and his filling is everywhere. Oh, the boy wizard is not doing well at all. The girls, though, are looking ace with their doughnuts.
Kim-Joy nails the ring doughnut, and gets the almond filling just right. Nailed the decoration too.
Ruby's are sticky, sticky, sticky. Where Kim-Joy overfilled, Ruby under-filled. Oh no! She's not done well there...
Onto Rahul, whose doughnuts look stunning. You wouldn't get those at Krispy Kreme.
Rahul not looking confident, and neither's Ruby. Kim-Joy staying remarkably composed. It's all to play for as we enter the technical challenge.
We're heading outside! Everyone's looking very nervous. Can this happen? Has this been done before? Bake Off 2018: breaking all the rules.
Six pitta breads on the camp fire with three dips in 90 minutes. They all look very anxious as they stare at the fire. "People would think I'm mad," says Rahul of using the fire. Obviously wasn't a scout.
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