What did you miss?
The Great British Bake Off host Alison Hammond divided viewers when she took what some thought was a staged tumble in the tent.
The This Morning presenter attempted to sit on top of a work bench and fell backwards, her legs flying right up over head. Hammond was not injured and laughed off the embarrassing mishap. It was yet another mishap in a chaotic series of the Channel 4 baking competition, which in previous episodes has seen two contestants collapse in the tent, and co-host Noel Fielding smash a bowl containing one baker’s caramel.
But while some fans found Hammond’s latest mishap hilarious, others felt it looked staged.
What, how and why?
The theme for the 2024 quarter finals was 1970s Week. For the signature challenge the bakers had to make profiteroles with a 1970s-inspired filling, and the technical challenge saw judge Paul Hollywood task the bakers with making banoffee pie.
While the bakers were all busy concentrating on their banoffee mixtures, they were suddenly distracted by a scream as Hammond unexpectedly toppled backwards while attempting to pose casually on the edge of a bench. Wearing a 1970s inspired batik patterned suit Hammond declared: “I’m just going to add a little bit of happiness in here”, and hopped onto a worktop. But she lost her balanced and fell backwards, her legs flipping up in the air above her head.
Menswear designer Christian gasped and looked round, while midwife Illiyin remarked “Wow!” Nurse Georgie exclaimed, “She fell off!” But carried on baking.
Lying on the floor, Hammond joked: “Don’t come over here. Leave me. Leave me with my shame.” Laughing, her co-host Noel Fielding ran over and lay on top of her teasing: “Oh Alison! That’s the best thing I’ve ever seen ever.”
Hammond then stood up and leaned on the bench, trying to work out what had gone wrong. She muttered: “I missed my footing. What did I do wrong? What did I do? Oh forget it! I’ll do it tomorrow.” She shrugged and walked off camera.
Some Bake Off Viewers loved the slapstick of Hammond’s fall. One wrote on social media platform X: “Alison falling twice in this episode I love her so much #GBBO.”
Another said: “Alison is the best thing to happen to this show #GBBO.”
One exclaimed: “Haha oh Alison, I bl**dy love you!!!! She’s a treasure. Her and Noel together are awesome too. #GBBO #BakeOff” And another laughed: “Anyone just get flashbacks to Alison in the Big Brother garden?? #GBBO.”
Hammond competed in the third series of Big Brother in 2002. One say she and fellow housemate Kate Lawler were jumping on the table in the garden, trying to get the attention of the security guards outside the walls, when the garden table broke and Hammond fell, laughing hysterically.
But other viewers complained the fall was set up for the cameras.
One tweeted: “How do people find her funny? That was so staged #gbbo.”
Another commented scathingly: “Totally not a staged fall at all. #GBBO.”
While another complained: Alison Hammond jumping off the counter for attention.. how can I make this show all about me #gbbo.”
What else happened on Bake Off?
Midwife Illiyian was sent home in tears after her showstopper 1970s gateau fell over before she had presented it to judges Hollywood and Prue Leith. The champagne and peach gateau had been persistently lopsided as she put it together on the hot summer day in the tent. Illiyian put the two-tiered gateau in the fridge, but it collapsed before she could show it to the judges.
Presenting it in two parts she said: “I’m having a bit of a wobbly week, it just collapsed in the fridge.”
The judges were full of compliments for her flavours. Leith said: “It tastes like heaven, and the acidity of the peach is perfect. That’s a celebration of the tinned peach. It’s delicious.” And Hollywood added: “Structurally, it’s a real shame.” Illiyian said: “I’m sorry to present that ’cause it’s not what I would want to have done. Right now, I feel really disappointed in myself.”
The judges decided the midwife hadn’t done enough to save herself. She said: “It’s a funny thing because I feel like I can drop my shoulders a little bit and be like, ‘Well, at least you don’t have to go and practise practise patisserie.’ Given all these feelings of sadness underneath, all of that is, I think, an immense sense of pride. It’s an exceptional competition, bakers, and to have been part of it, that’s quite special. But yeah, over and out Bake Off.”
Paediatric nurse Georgie was named Star Baker for the second time of the series.
The 2024 Bake Off semi-finalists are retail temp Dylan, 20, nurse Georgie, 34, category manager Gill, 53, and 33-year-old menswear designer Christian.
The Great British Bake Off airs Channel 4 at 8pm on Tuesday.