Great British Bake Off final: Candice Brown, Andrew Smyth and Jane Beedle are all winners
As the final looms for Andrew, Candice and Jane, the Bake Off trio tell TV Magazine what they really think...
Andrew Smyth
What’s your Bake Off highlight?
Winning Star Baker in week seven was a proud moment. It was especially poignant as I was in awe of what the other bakers had produced, and was surprised to get it. I left the tent beaming.
And when were you at your lowest?
When Paul and Mary tried my floral cake. I was left gutted. It was really horrible, thinking that I was about to leave the tent for good.
What’s your most unforgettable moment?
Accidentally turning my oven off for 15 minutes during the Bakewell technical. My engineering colleagues won’t let me forget that.
Describe Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry in just one sentence each…
Paul is brutally honest, but usually fair. Mary always has a positive spin on things and makes you feel very at home when you’re in the tent.
Are you aware of all the innuendoes as they fly about while filming?
It’s only watching it back you realise just how hilarious some of the moments are. But I think it’s fair to say I was aware of Candice’s “jugs” comment as soon as she said it.
Whose departure shocked you the most?
When Kate left in week four. I had her pegged for the final. That highlighted for me how
all it takes is one unlucky week to slip up.
What have you learnt from the show?
That my facial expressions are far more pronounced than I thought they were…
Do you feel famous?
People have been asking for a lot of selfies, it feels like all of Derby and Northern Ireland has been behind me. I’m still getting used to it. It makes you much more self-conscious about what’s in your shopping basket!
How does it feel to watch yourself on TV?
I’ve been watching the show with a bunch of friends on Wednesdays. My friends and family have found it hilarious, especially the GIFs of my face doing the rounds on Twitter.
What was the nicest thing you ate over the 10 weeks of the competition?
Benjamina’s pistachio drizzle cake from week one or Jane’s mini mousse cakes from week seven.
What’s next for you?
I’ve got lots of ideas – some fusion of baking and engineering perhaps. The dream would be something in TV or a precision baking book.
Would you bake for the Queen, like last year’s winner Nadiya Hussain?
Of course! Who wouldn’t? I’d be absolutely terrified, but would jump at the opportunity. Nadiya did a stellar job with so much pressure.
Candice Brown
What’s your Bake Off highlight?
Being awarded my first Star Baker for something I had been so worried about, and for something that was a real weakness for me, or so I thought. My practices hadn’t gone well, my gingerbread pub resembled a broken Nativity scene. So to be given Star Baker, I felt justified being in the tent.
And when were you at your lowest?
Bread week. Biscuits should’ve been a weakness and bread should’ve been a strength, according to my skill set, but wow did it swap round. I was mortified. Hence the tears.
What’s your most unforgettable moment?
I will never forget Mel eating an entire lump of stem ginger. I was laughing so much I was crying as her eyes watered and she gagged while trying to swallow it! And making eleven bloody good friends is pretty unforgettable.
Describe Paul and Mary in just one sentence each…
Mary was everything I hoped she would be and more. Paul? That stare…
Are you aware of all the innuendoes as they fly about the tent?
Things do just pop out. They called me Barbara Windsor in the tent, like in the Carry On films, which I love. It’s hard not to be a bit naughty if you have plums, or you are squeezing sausage meat out of their skins. That, mixed with lack of sleep and a whole load of other big kids in the tent, not to mention Mel and Sue, equals innuendo galore. I love it!
Whose departure shocked you the most?
Everyone’s, because I genuinely think every one of them was a better baker than me.
Baking is what I want to do. And that if I really push myself, put myself in a tent, give myself four hours, am watched by two of the greatest bakers ever, battle the elements and wear lipstick, I can make a gingerbread pub!
Do you feel famous?
Working in a school with teenagers certainly stops any thoughts of fame creeping in. The students think it’s hilarious to shout “Candice” instead of Miss Brown. I did have a lady in a shop say: “Oh, your lips really are that pointy.”
How does it feel to watch yourself on TV?
During the first episode I had to stand in the garden as I couldn’t bear my own voice.
What did you miss most while filming?
I missed my boys – my pug Dennis and my boyfriend Liam. We don’t spend much time apart, so being away from him and Dennis’ squashy face was difficult. Liam is great at pep talks.
What was the nicest thing you ate?
I think I ate half of the mousse that Selasi made for the mirror glaze cake. He has said he would make me one – still waiting, Selasi! And the mandarin margarita Rav made was one of the nicest cocktails I’ve ever tasted.
What’s next?
Take over the world one lipstick shade and one vintage display item at a time! I am so grateful to be part of the select few in the GBBO family I can’t wait to see what happens next. I do see a whole load of baked goods, though.
Would you bake for the Queen?
I love her, she rocks a colour scheme like no one else. I might see if she fancied a pint and some pork scratchings to go with the cake.
Jane Beedle
What’s your Bake Off highlight?
Winning Star Baker in week one. After all the excitement and nerves it was a huge relief to survive, and get some lovely comments.
And when were you at your lowest?
My three-tier floral cake did not go according to plan – everything that could go wrong with it, did go wrong. Reliving it when the episode was aired on TV brought it all back.
What’s your most unforgettable moment?
The whole experience was unforgettable and I still can’t quite believe it really happened. At one moment during the fougasse challenge it suddenly struck me that there were seven amateur bakers standing in a tent watching our loaves of bread being filmed. Quite surreal!
What most surprised you about the making of the show?
Walking into the tent that first morning, instead of feeling very alien it all felt incredibly normal and familiar. It almost felt like home… but please note my kitchen is not in a tent!
Describe Paul and Mary in just one sentence each…
Paul is scary and inscrutable. Mary is kind and encouraging, but by no means a pushover.
Whose departure shocked you the most?
Had Louise not had her biscuit disaster, she may well have been Star Baker for bread week. But the person I always had marked down as being a finalist from day one was Kate.
What have you learnt from the show?
If you have a dream, just go for it. It’s much better to try and fail than to wish you had given it a go. And, from seeing myself on TV, I’ve learnt I probably need to have a facelift! Do I look that old? Do I really pull such strange faces? If I groan while watching, my children ban me from the sitting room.
What did you miss the most while you were away filming?
I missed my family, we are all very close and my husband is my best friend. It would have been great to have had them there.
What’s next?
To be involved in some kind of TV series would be really lovely. I am chatting through some concepts with one of the other bakers – maybe we can collaborate. I would like to write a recipe book too… I’d just like to try to extend all the baking fun.
Would you bake for the Queen?
Yes, without a shadow of a doubt. Life is short and opportunities don’t come along every day.