We're now over the halfway mark in Bake Off 2015 and only five bakers remain. Here's who we think could win it.
This article contains spoilers about past episodes. Read at your own risk!
With seven bakers gone and only five still in the running to be crowned champion of this year’s Great British Bake Off, the atmosphere in the tent is certainly heating up – and not just because of the ovens.
Before the quarter final episode it's time to examine which baker will take home the trophy this time.
Who is left?
Seven gruelling weeks into the contest, we find ourselves without Stu, Marie, Dorret, Sandy, Ugne, Alvin and Mat, who have left the show in that order.
The strongest of the remaining contestants is arguably Ian, who has won star baker three times in seven episodes, but can he keep up the pace?
He’s definitely being put to the test by Paul, who received a special commendation (a Bake Off first) for his fantastic King of the Jungle during bread week. He’s also been relatively consistent with the quality of his bakes throughout the series and, with a few exceptions, has generally impressed the judges.
Another strong contender is Nadiya. Although she hasn’t been the most successful in the technical challenges, she has performed very well in the other parts of the competition. Most notably, she bagged the Star Baker award in the ‘alternative ingredients’ episode with her showstopper: a wonderfully presented chocolate and strawberry lime ice cream roll.
Tamal picked up the most recent Star Baker award in the seventh episode, with considerable compliments from the judges for a perfect Charlotte Russe cake.
Flora has both looked quietly confident, completing some beautiful bakes – but unfortunately hasn't done quite enough to bag a Star Baker award during any week. But she has mostly kept herself out of trouble.
Who will win?
Although he hasn’t won a Star Baker title for a few weeks now, I reckon Ian is on track to bake himself into the final at least – and seems a likely winner in my eyes.
However, although Ian has won the most Star Baker awards and produced plenty of excellent cakes, breads and tarts, it’s still anyone’s title to take.
There have been some amazing bakes this series, as well as some that haven’t quite held together in the end. Will subpar performances eventually be forgiven, or will the consistency of the frontrunner pay off?
And who will be the next to leave?
Who is your favourite to win? What has been the most impressive creation of the series so far? Let us know in the Comments below.
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