The Great British Bake Off was thrown into chaos on Wednesday night after Tasha fell into the overheated tent and had to leave halfway through the ‘Chocolate Week’ episode.
The baker, 27, is the first ever deaf contestant on the Channel 4 programme, appearing on the show alongside her BSL interpreter Daryl.
After a disappointing result in the tricky signature challenge, viewers noticed Tasha looked ‘pale’ while doing the technical baking to whip up a chocolate cake without wheat flour.
An ill-looking Tasha told the crew: “It’s quite hot, I need some air,” before being rushed out.
The tearful contestant was comforted by new host Alison Hammond as the show’s schedule descended into chaos.
Disruption: The Great British Bake Off was thrown into chaos on Wednesday night after Tasha fell into the overheated tent and had to leave halfway through ‘Chocolate Week’
Worryingly, viewers noticed Tasha looked ‘pale’ during the technical challenge
New host: The tearful contestant was comforted by Alison Hammond as the show’s schedule fell into chaos
Tasha was filmed outside talking to the camera crew as she revealed she had had a migraine the night before and it was decided she would go home.
After Matty won the Star Baker award for his chocolate box showstopper, judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith announced that they had decided to suspend the eliminations, but instead two bakers would be going home the following week.
Bake Off fans were quick to condemn the producers for hosting a chocolate week in the middle of the heatwave.
One said: ‘Do they deliberately choose chocolate week every year on the hottest day of the year or something?’
Another said: ‘No man but they really set them up with the chocolate weeks on a heatwave day???’
A third added: ‘Why don’t they ever learn?’
Viewers were quick to express their sympathy for Tasha and her disappointment at having to leave halfway through the challenge.
“Poor Tasha,” one commented, while another said: “Poor Tasha, you can see how upset she feels that she can’t complete the challenge.”
Others were more cynical about her early departure, with one Twitter user saying: ‘I’d be sick too if I messed up my first bake and then my second.’
Reaction: Bake Off fans were quick to condemn the producers for hosting a chocolate week in the middle of the heatwave
Good news: Matty won Star Baker for his chocolate box showstopper as all the contestants were allowed to stay
GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF 2023: WHO ARE THE PARTICIPANTS?
Tasha
Age: 27
Occupation: Employee participation
By: Bristol
Bake Off presenters have learned sign language as the show welcomes its first ever deaf contestant.
Tasha, 27, is a participation officer from Bristol and will be at the show with her BSL interpreter, Daryl.
She said: “When I got the Zoom call to tell me I was one of 12, I cried. Daryl was crying too. We were a mess.”
Amos
Age: 43
Occupation: Deli and supermarket manager
By: North London
Amos describes his baking as a labor of love: his style is colorful and chic with great attention to detail, and he loves to explore different flavor profiles.
He compares his baking style to the converted church he now lives in, calling both his style and his home ‘traditional with a modern twist’.
Rowan
Age: 21
Occupation: student at university
By: West Yorkshire
‘Go big, or go home’ is student Rowan’s motto, which he has always applied to his baking.
As a student of English Literature, when not writing, Rowan is also an enthusiastic host, applying his creative eye to his cooking.
Abbi
Age: 27
Occupation: Vegetable grower and delivery person
By: Cumbria
She loves the outdoors, searches for seasonal ingredients and makes good use of her home-grown vegetables.
Abbi’s bakes aim to combine comfort and familiarity with a strong nod to nature and the feeling of creating something magical – bakes with a touch of fairytale.
Cristy
Age: 33
Occupation: FATHER
FRom: East London
For Cristy, life with four kids means there’s always a birthday to bake for and an exciting party to plan.
She describes her baking style as enchanted and beautiful – baking that evokes a childish feeling.
Than
Age: 42
Occupation: Civil engineering resource planner
By: Cheshire
Perfectionist Dan loves a baking challenge and often finds the most difficult bake in one of his 300 cookbooks.
When he’s not baking, he enjoys playing football with his two young sons or foraging for edible treats in the countryside.
Dana
Age: 25
Occupation: Database Administrator
By: Essex
She likes a semi-naked cake with clean lines, beautiful piping and minimalist decoration; and while she likes to keep her flavors safe, Dana will often add a few twists, adding familiar spices linked to her Indian heritage.
Josh
Age: 27
Occupation: Postdoctoral Research Associate
By: Leicestershire
Postdoctoral Research Associate Josh is a chemist by trade and brings his scientist’s precision and willingness to experiment to the kitchen, taking careful notes on every part of the baking process.
Keet
Age: 60
Occupation: Chartered accountant
By: Hampshire
Keith has a fondness for apple pies and fairy cakes, which he learned to bake with his mother.
The treats form the baking background of Keith’s childhood, along with his mother’s love of traditional dishes from her home in Malta.
Matty
Age: 28
Occupation: PE and science teacher
By: Cambridgeshire
He describes his style as rustic but neat, and his taste preferences as quite traditional – he especially likes chocolate, citrus and nuts.
Once his days in the tent are over, his next challenge will be making his own wedding cake.
Nicky
Age: 52
Occupation: Retired cabin crew and volunteer
By: West Midlands
Her favorite bakes are pastries, but she also enjoys making fun birthday cakes for her niece and grandchildren.
When she’s not baking, Nicky volunteers for a pet therapy charity with her dog Bracken and enjoys skiing, which she has been doing since she was just three years old.
Saku
Age: 50
Occupation: Intelligence analyst
By: Herefordshire
In her childhood home in Sri Lanka, Saku did not have an oven until the age of 18, so she did not take up baking until she moved to Britain with her husband in 2003.
She is self-taught and likes to use home-grown ingredients from her vegetable garden.
