Manon has become the eighth contestant to leave the Great British Bake Off tent, in a week that saw Kim-Joy break down in tears over an underproved showstopper.
Manon, a 27-year-old French software project manager, was overwhelmed by the challenge of baking a selection of Scandinavian treats for Danish Week, a Bake Off first.
Entering the quarter-final stage, only five bakers remained, and in one of the programme’s toughest challenges they were asked to bake rye bread Smorrebrod, sweet apple and cinnamon Aebleskiver and Kagemand, a pastry served on birthdays.
Ruby claimed the prize of star baker after narrowly avoiding eviction last week, with Paul Hollywood judging her tandoori open Smorrebrod sandwich a “real celebration of rye”.
Mental health specialist Kim-Joy broke down in tears after judges Hollywood and Prue Leith rubbished her showstopper for being underproved.
However, it was Rahul and Manon who struggled the most with the selection of sweet and savoury bakes.
Rahul burnt his Maharajah showstopper and failed to allow his rye bread enough time to rise, but it was Manon who exited the tent after a series of botched bakes.
She admitted she was disappointed not to make it to the patisserie-themed semi-final.
She said: “I didn’t make it to patisserie week, and that’s a shame as that is what we French are known for. I so wanted to get to that particular week as it would have made my parents so proud, but it was not to be, c’est la vie!”
“I was the saddest baker to leave, I think, because I loved the Bake Off bubble so much. There isn’t a moment of it that I didn’t enjoy,” she added.
“I put my heart on a plate so the judges would either cuddle it or kill it. It was hard to take the criticism but I valued it and learned from it.”
Last week Leith asked of the remaining contestants: “Can they do it vegan-style?”
For Hawaiian shirt enthusiast Jon, 47, the answer was no, and in honour of the Welsh meat-eater the remaining bakers this week donned gaudy shirts for the first challenge, but reality hit home and the jovial mood quickly dissipated.
All five bakers struggled and no contestant received a Hollywood handshake.
Speaking at the end of the episode, Manon said: “I have learned so much, and so many things I didn’t think I would actually be able to make. I am a stronger baker, and hopefully a stronger person.”
Leith consoled her, saying: “You should be proud of yourself, I mean, to get this far is amazing. I am so sad to see Manon go, she is a really good French baker, just not a very good Danish one.”
The Great British Bake Off returns to Channel 4 on Tuesday October 23 at 8pm.