Eliminated Great British Bake Off contestant Gary has broken his silence on his exit, telling fans he was "fine" and that his departure "didn't come as a surprise." His comments follow a wave of complaints from viewers about the judges' decision during Free-From Party Week.
Gary's Exit and Immediate Reaction
Six bakers took part in Free-From Party Week on Tuesday (November 3), hoping to impress judges Nigella Lawson and Paul Hollywood. The bakers first faced the Signature challenge, serving up gluten-free, dairy-free or vegan delicacies. The Technical, set by Nigella, saw each baker create an "adorable animal cake," before the Showstopper required a children's birthday cake with an interactive element.
After failing to impress the judges with his Showstopper, Gary became the next hopeful to be eliminated. He has now spoken about his exit during an episode of Second Helpings, the new Channel 4 spin-off show hosted by Jon Richardson and Judi Love, appearing alongside former contestant Danni.
What Gary Said on Second Helpings
Asked how he was doing, Gary replied: "Fine, yeah, yeah, I'm alright. I wish I weren't here. It didn't come as a surprise, to be honest with you. It wasn't my best week. It were just, it were my turn. I'm fine, don't worry."
Discussing his Showstopper cake, Jon said: "Let's have a look at your interactive cauldron cake. I feel like Paul and Nigella were a little bit unfairly harsh on it." Gary responded: "Well, I think it looked good... Yeah, it [was] the taste [that] they didn't like."
Reflecting on his Technical, Gary added: "I think the actual sponges were nice, but the actual finish, I was really upset about that one. The bakers in there, they're all brilliant, and when it gets to this stage, you know, the judges start to tighten things up, and they're a bit more picky."
Fans React to the Judges' Decision
Gary's exit drew criticism from viewers on social media. One person wrote on X: "I adore Connie, but Gary did better than her in the first two challenges, and they didn't love her Showstopper that much more than his so... Why did he go?"
Another added: "I'm absolutely devastated by Gary's departure from #GBBO. He was my favourite!" A third said: "Absolute Gary slander this week. You knew from the minute Nigella said Connie just has the heart of a baker that they were sending Gary home. Justice for Gary! Been a fan of Connie, but there's no way they got equal treatment this week."
Someone else commented: "Gary deserved so much better. I don't think it would have mattered what he baked it wouldn't have been good enough for Paul." A fifth viewer echoed the sentiment, saying: "Wrong decision. Wrong decision. So so so so wrong." Another added: "Gutted for Gary, going to miss him, but I'm glad Connie got through," while someone else shared: "Much as I love Connie, Gary's showstopper was much better. Totally unfair."
The Great British Bake Off airs Tuesday nights at 8pm on Channel 4.
