Great British Bake Off eliminates first baker of 2021 series

Great British Bake Off spoilers follow.

After a (very) long year, Great British Bake Off is back for another year in the tent. On your marks, get set, bake!

The competition kicked off tonight (September 21) on Channel 4 with 12 new contestants entering the tent to impress judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, and hosts Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas, but it was competitor Tom who was the first to go.

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The first challenge saw the contestants create mini-rolls, with their own personal flair.

Channel 4

George found himself in hot water after his mini rolls collapsed. "It's not cake, it's pudding," Prue told him.

Amanda and Lizzie also received negative critiques from the judges, with Paul saying Lizzie's zoo-themed mini-rolls had clearly been made in "a rush". Lizzie said: "It's the tent pressure, isn't it?"

The second challenge, the technical, had the bakers make a malt loaf with homemade butter. Maggie came out on top with "the perfect malt loaf", according to the discerning Prue.

Channel 4

Met Police detective Amanda came in last, for having lots of flour pockets in her malt loaf. "I'm never going to bake with flour again," she joked in her confessional outside the tent.

Paul admitted after the second challenge: "The only person who's in a little bit of trouble is Amanda."

The third challenge was the bakers' first attempts at a showstopper: an illusion cake made to appear like it's defying gravity, decorated to represent a precious memory.

Jurgen took home the win for the final challenge, having created an architectural masterpiece with a lamp and a book cake, which Paul thought could make him the "flavour king" of the series.

But sadly, the journey was over for Tom from Kent. Tom's cake, inspired by his love of classical music, didn't quite defy gravity as much as the other showstoppers. Paul said there was "no way that's defying gravity".