Labour MP Jess Phillips has been named as star baker on the Great Celebrity Bake Off for her “feminist cake”.
The Yardley politician created a cake spreading a message of “smashing the patriarchy” and sealed victory in the charity show for Stand Up To Cancer.
She competed against comedian Johnny Vegas, athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson, and TV personality Big Narstie.
Sandi Toksvig had to step in during the show after a rogue Big Narstie was unable to enter the tent for the final task due to illness. His rule-bending bakes has not fully met the brief before he was replaced by the Bake Off host.
Phillips impressed with her take on shortbread in the signature, a pork pie in the technical, and a showstopper self-portrait in dessert form proclaiming her feminist message.
She said: “It’s basically a feminist cake, with me presenting a speech about smashing the patriarchy.”
The MP added to Paul Hollywood: “If you don’t like it, I will take that personally of behalf of woman-kind.”
Asked if she wanted help carrying the weighty dessert, she said: “I wouldn’t like a man to help me with my cake that is about smashing the patriarchy.”
Her cardamom and fennel-flavoured cake sufficiently impressed Hollywood and Prue Leith, who awarded the MP the honour of star baker. She has joined previous winner in this series of the celebrity version, Michelle Keegan and Russell Brand.
Big Narstie’s chances of winning were subject to self-sabotage, as the MC offered a “dog’s dinner” tray of shortbread.
Despite being instructed to make six pork pies in the technical, he opted to bake two large, spicy beef pasties which he christened “Rasta pie”.
Big Narstie did not turn up for the final challenge, with Noel Fielding saying he was ill and due to be replaced. Toksvig then darted to the baking station to represent the missing MC.
She created a banana cake for the showstopper, and earned a Hollywood handshake for her last-minute efforts. Toksvig looked tearful after receiving praise from her Bake Off colleagues.