Here’s the Great British Bake Off final

Viewers knew when this series of The Great British Bake Off began that there was a chance it wouldn’t be like any previous runs.

Not only was there a new presenter in the form of Matt Lucas, who took over from Sandi Toksvig, but it was filmed during a pandemic, which must have created new challenges for everyone involved. For a start, the bakers had to form a bubble.

However, for viewers at least, it has largely felt like business as usual in the tent. Matt hit the ground running, the bakers were as likeable as ever, and returning presenter Noel Fielding and judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith seemed unphased by any changes. In fact, for many of us, it has been a welcome weekly dose of normality.

But there is one way in which The Great British Bake Off has felt a bit different in 2020 – the competition has been particularly wide open.

In the first seven weeks, Prue and Paul crowned seven different star bakers, and there have been some shock eliminations. Many viewers would have predicted that Mark and Sura would stick around for longer than they did.

Meanwhile, the somewhat inconsistent Lottie seemed to be coming into her own after picking up Star Baker in Japanese week (admittedly, a week which had some viewers questioning the show’s understanding of what constituted Japanese baking), only to be booted out of the tent in the following episode after her 1980s ice-cream cake fell victim to the boiling conditions in the tent.

Now we’ve reached the final, a favourite may have finally emerged – although it’s worth remembering that even the most consistent bakers have lost their nerve at the last hurdle, only for a more unexpected winner to emerge.

So, it’s definitely all still to play for as Prue and Paul unveil the last three challenges, which are set to test every aspect of the finalists’ baking skills. (Yes, even more so than the week one challenge to make a bust of their celebrity hero in cake form, which produced some of the most extraordinary creations in Bake Off history.)

There’s a deceptively simple Signature combining set custard and puff pastry, and a Technical celebrating the classic combination of chocolate and nuts.

Finally, in the Showstopper, the bakers are given free rein to show what they can do as they construct magnificent dessert towers.

The pressure will be on – although hopeful it won’t be as stressful to watch as the 2019 final, when Steph, who had seemed to be the one to beat, visibly struggled, ultimately losing to David.

Luckily, it seems that the class of 2020 have enjoyed the experience, with Lottie sharing a letter encouraging other amateur bakers to sign up for 2021.

She said; “I came out of the tent feeling more confident in my baking skills than I ever thought possible and that was all down to the tireless encouragement and coaching from the other bakers, judges, presenters and crew. I love you all so very much. To anyone thinking of applying: DO IT!”

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