The Great British Bake Off, review: the final is the cherry on top of a resurgent series

Like a perfectly made sponge cake, The Great British Bake Off (Channel 4) has bounced back. After a few stale series, this autumn’s contest represented a return to form. Reports of the calorific franchise’s death - or at least its soggy bottom - have been greatly exaggerated.

TV thrives on novelty. Shiny new series tend to hog the hype, headlines and glowing reviews. Meanwhile, long-running stalwarts are met with sneers of “is that still on?” or “past its sell-by date”. Contests like Strictly, I’m a Celebrity and Bake Off bear the brunt, but they remain ratings bankers. Even if pundits are bored of them, punters aren’t. Bake Off is still Channel 4’s biggest show, attracting seven million viewers each week.

The 15th series has been a sweet treat. This year’s batch of bakers included some standout characters. Palliative care assistant Nelly became a cult heroine. Essex mechanic Andy was another fan favourite. Last week, we waved a fond farewell to no-nonsense Lancashire lass Gill, with her insistence on “northern portions”. She stole a mixing bowl and kissed a cameraman on her way out.

In her second series as co-host, Alison Hammond has settled into the tent - adding hilarity with her mishaps and adding heart with her pep talks to wobbling contestants. Format tweaks freshened things up. Drama came when bakers fainted or fell off stools.

Twelve bakers had been whittled down to three, who fought it out in a tense finale. The hot favourite was 21-year-old prodigy Dylan Bachelet, “the flavour king” who has sent hearts a-flutter. Sporting a bandanna, goatee beard and hoop earrings, he’s gone viral as “the Captain Jack Sparrow of baking”. The most consistent and classical baker was paediatric nurse Georgie Grasso, proud to be the first-ever Welsh finalist. The dark horse was Dutch-born fashion designer Christiaan de Vries, with his visual flair and charming accent. His pronunciation of “thermometer” was widely compared to Nigella Lawson’s “microwave”.

For this gala grand final, a vintage steam fair rolled into Welford Park. Families and friends descended for a garden party. To fit the occasion, the climactic three rounds were pleasingly traditional. An opening salvo of scones saw dodgy dough all round. Nobody did themselves justice. It was still all to bake for.

The technical challenge was whipping up a quintessential afternoon tea. Christiaan got his nose in front with a polished presentation. For their showstopper, the trio constructed hanging tiered celebration cakes. As they struggled to dangle their mighty creations from groaning hooks, there was genuine jeopardy. A crucial cake could have splatted to the floor at any moment.

Under nerve-jangling pressure, nobody produced their best baking. Camaraderie was cockle-warming as they helped one another. Dylan’s inexperience began to tell, complete with bleeped-out swearing. Christiaan tried one risky flavour too many and lost his chance thanks to liquorice jam. Not available in a shop near you anytime soon.

It left the Welsh dragon to roar. Georgie deservedly triumphed with her delicious traditional style. “Classic British baking, beautifully done,” said judge Prue Leith approvingly. Champagne corks popped. Georgie swigged from the bottle, before lifting that coveted glass cake-stand trophy. A surprise but worthy winner was the cherry on top of a resurgent series.