The final was the closest Bake Off has ever come to being cruel

This review contains spoilers for The Great British Bake Off final

The Great British Bake Off used to encapsulate autumn for me: nights got darker, jumpers came out, and every Tuesday without fail, I’d watch contestants bake marvellous things in a hot tent while I scoffed a load of shop-bought biscuits, cosy under a blanket.

But 2025 broke tradition. I skipped episodes and didn’t miss them, Celebrity Traitors became my new must-watch, and the custard creams were left unopened. Before the finale, though, I took it upon myself to catch up and realised I’d missed… nothing.

You have to hand it to Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith, Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond. The final had a forgone conclusion, yet they truly tried their best to make it somewhat suspenseful. At one point, Paul declared