The Great British Bake Off: Coming up roses for Tom

Selasi and Jane dressed for the occasion - Botanical week - but it’s Selasi and Benjamina getting Twitter in a tizz!

Giggling together in the naughty side of the tent means there’s now a million gifs getting a million romantics all het up at the thought of a Bake Off romance. You can understand why production companies go for showmances in such a big way - the public can’t get enough.

No comment as yet from Selasi’s girlfriend.

“We don’t want it deflating, we want it nice and stiff” said Benjamina of her meringue, while Selasi, already promising some sharpedged kisses, used her as guinea pig to test out his stiff peaks, whipping the audience into a bigger frenzy than frazzled bakers’ meringues.

The oven gloves have been well and truly (hypothetically) discarded, as Jane and Candice go head to head, with honours even between them this round - Jane’s meringue pie enjoyed more by Mary and Paul but Candice impressing more with her showstopper.

Andrew and Tom rose above it all, neither of them panicking at any time during the episode ever, just indulging in a spot of ping pong to while away the time.

It seems old fashioned to say it but the floral theme seemed to have inspired the ladies more this week; at halfway, all four of our guys are in trouble.

Come the showstopper though, and both Selasi and Tom got it right on the day - the looks of their cakes, and the taste and textures, meant theirs stood out more than all the others and catapulted them to safety.

It was between Andrew and Rav, with decidedly below par weeks, who both convinced themselves they would be the one to go home.

With little to choose between them, the extra effort in using three different flavours (and possibly the greater consistency across the weeks overall) saw Andrew safe, as we bid farewell to sweet Rav, whose fougasse was in contention but whose meringue pie was a bit gloopy while his showstopper was a bit “samey” according to Paul and not creative enough for Mary.

Star Baker was equally difficult but a win in the technical challenge, as well as beautifully flavoured genoese sponges as the basis for his showstopper, gave Tom the edge.

Next week, roly polys, nutty delights (and I don’t mean Mel and Sue) and mini cheesecakes. Let’s hope their skills don’t dessert them …