PE teacher Candice Brown will be stepping up to the hotplate for the nation’s teachers when she appears in the final of the Great British Bake Off tonight.
Candice, from Bedford, demonstrated her can-dough spirit in week two, when she was awarded star baker after constructing a gingerbread model of the pub where she lived as a child:
Like any teacher, she knew that she could do batter. In week four, she came second in the lacy-pancake technical challenge:
Proving that she didn’t flake under pressure - unlike her filo - she won star baker again during pastry week. And, in Tudor week, she successfully guessed that creating an edible version of a beady-eyed male that likes to strut around, flashing its plumage in order to impress the females of the species, would find favour with Paul Hollywood.
Some viewers, however, felt that Candice’s peacock was a little too familiar:
But Nadiya Hussain- otherwise known as Last Year’s Winner - had no such reservations:
In fact, Candice’s combination of brightly coloured lipsticks and a tendency to pout under pressure has led to considerable Twitter opprobrium. Candice’s quick responses, however, ensured that her detractors burned faster than an unwatched pan of caramel:
Candice is one of four contestants who worked in education to make it onto the show this year. Val Stones, a retired primary head, exited the tent in the fifth week, after winning hearts with her declaration that she “baked with love”. Benjamina Ebuehi, a teaching assistant, made it through to the quarter finals, where she failed to amaze the judges with her iced box hedges. Tom Gilliford, a former RE teacher and SENCO, famously received a “Paul Hollywood handshake” during biscuit week.
Appearing alongside Candice in the final will be Andrew Smyth, an aerospace engineer, and Jane Beedle, a garden designer.
The Great British Bake Off is on BBC1 at 8pm.
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