ONE of the MasterChef contestants was reduced to tears tonight after she ruined her choux au craquelin during the dreaded knockout week.
Fans were less than sympathetic to her plight, complaining that she does not have the strength of mind to win the BBC cooking competion.
Tonight five of the sixteen remaining competitors gathered in the MasterChef kitchens to battle for a spot in the final.
Judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace announced that today's challenge would be to invent the most delicious dish possible with the ingredients supplied in the show's larder.
Hope, 31, decided to attempt a complex French pastry called choux au craquelin - but was left breaking down when she did not get the consistency right.
The Digital Project Director had to be comforted by another chef as she melted down when the contestants were told their time was up before she had time to whip up another creation.
read more in masterchef
She also had tears in her eyes as celebrity chef John gave her feedback on the dish.
He grimaced: "You know that your choux pastry hasn't worked. The inside of that bun is still a little bit dense and bits are doughy in the middle.
"Your lime ice cream - I loved the flavour of it, but it's grainy."
Greg gently added: "The choux bun isn't exactly what you wanted unfortunately."
Most read in Reality
Hope looked distraught as she walked away from the judges, but viewers did not feel bad for her.
One person took to social media, moaning: "Hope crying again.."
Another hit out: "Hope is too much of a sap for MasterChef. She really thinks she’s going all the way."
A third joked: "Hope hopeless."
Sadly, as a result of her dish flopping, Hope was the first person to be axed tonight as part of a three contestant culling.
This is not the first time the Buckinghamshire local has received backlash from viewers, as she was previously criticised for promoting her own pottery on the show.
MasterChef
MasterChef facts
MASTERCHEF has been a staple BBC series for years - but what are the key details?
- MasterChef launched on BBC One back in 1990
- It ran until 2001, then was revived in 2005 as MasterChef Goes Large
- John Torode joined the revamped series in 2005, where he teamed up with Gregg Wallace as hosts
- Controversial moments? In March 2018, Gregg refused to judge Zaleha Kadir Olpin's stewed chicken rendang dish as he claimed it was 'not crispy enough and could not be eaten.'