Shannon has spoken out after becoming the second contestant to leave this series of The Great British Bake Off. She failed to impress during Audience Week on the Channel 4 competition, where viewers had a say in picking the challenges for the first time ever, with contestants facing a mystery box and creating wearable bakes.
Judge's verdict on Shannon's showstopper
New judge Nigella Lawson commented on Shannon's showstopper: “Shannon’s, for four and a half hours, a biscuit with royal icing, charming though it was, you’ve got to do something that is a bit of a showstopper for a showstopper.” She added: “The standard is high so you’ve got to send people who are talented.”
Noel Fielding praised all the bakers for their “amazing” work during the “wild” week before crowning Clara star baker. Alison Hammond then announced: "Unfortunately I have the awful job of announcing who is going to be leaving. The baker leaving the Bake Off tent is Shannon."
Shannon's emotional reaction
As Shannon was supported by her co-stars, she said: “It’s so hard to put into words what this has meant to me. I’ve become myself if anything, I’ve let go of any persona of who I wish I was, and I’ve really just been me. It’s life-changing, that is the word, I don’t want to say bye to anyone.”
Nigella also said: “I can’t get used to it, the fact that someone has to go home, but someone has to go home.” Paul added: “Shannon is such a lovely lady but unfortunately she was bottom in the technical, struggled in the signature and in the showstopper, didn’t quite do enough. So overall, it’s not been her best week.”
Shannon on Second Helpings
Appearing on spin-off show Second Helpings, with hosts Jon Richardson and Judi Love alongside guests Roisin Conaty and Carol Vorderman, Shannon discussed her exit. Jon began: “Shannon, it was very sad to see you leave this evening, and obviously that morning you’d woken up feeling pretty positive.”
Shannon recalled a dream she’d had that night, saying: “I was so happy with that showstopper, and then, I was like, I’ve got this in the bag, and then it was like, ‘You’re going’, and I was like, nah mate, you’ve got that wrong, there’s no way I’m going home. I was like, I’m not ready to go, and then the tears came. The interview afterwards… I was not ready to go, I was having way too much fun.”
She went on: “I met Paul, lovely guy, he’s the king of bread, don’t forget this, and looked into his guys, and went, they must be putting a filter on them eyes on the telly because I’m really underwhelmed right now! I didn’t mean it in a bad way! So I was like, he knows my strengths with bread and pastry, I’ve got bluer eyes, he’s got to get me out before week four because it’s bread week, and what happens? She’s gone! But it’s fine, I don’t mind coming back for a Christmas special, something like that, if there’s a bread technical or something, I’m there.”
She added: “I will say, Paul’s a lovely guy!” She went on to describe her Bake Off experience as “life-changing”, saying: “I work from home, I’ve got a routine, and you get into that way of life and kind of lose your spark. And then, I would always try and get out of things, I couldn’t be bothered to do things, but then Bake Off just brought it back! I thought I needed to push myself and get out there more, and friends and family told me, there’s something different about you, and you know what, it’s because Shannon is back, and there’s no stopping me now!”
The Great British Bake Off is available to watch on Channel 4 and continues Tuesdays at 8pm.
