The Great British Bake Off tent is set to erupt into chaos tonight as host Noel Fielding accidentally smashes one of the bakers’ key ingredients with just fifteen minutes to go.
Viewers are set for dramatic scenes on Tuesday night’s episode, which will see the presenter, 52, messing around in the tent while the contestants are at work during the Signature challenge.
He joked around by making a ball out of Nelly’s leftover biscuit dough and using her rolling pin as a bit, but panic ensued when he tried to hit the ball and instead knocked over her glass bowl of caramel, causing it to shatter on the floor.
‘Is this leftovers?’ Noel asked Nelly, before rolling the dough into a ball and exclaiming: ‘We can throw this at someone’.
Another contestant then held out his cap and challenged Noel to hit the ball into it, which he managed to do once.
However, on his second attempt, he sent the glass bowl of caramel flying, which left baker Nelly gasping.
‘You didn’t need that?’ the presenter asked, holding his hand over his mouth in shock.
‘Yes, I did,’ the baker responded, as Noel added: ‘Oh my God’ and other contestants put their hands to their heads.
Noel asked: ‘What are we going to do? Have we got time to make some more?’
Thankfully, Nelly confirmed that they did have time and speedily got to work on whipping up a new batch while Noel hoovered up the broken glass.
‘It’s all good,’ she joked, ‘If I’m gonna go home he will drive me home in a posh car.’
Viewers will have to wait until Tuesday night’s episode airs to find out whether Nelly managed to make a second bowl of caramel in time and pull off her Signature bake.
It comes after the show was accused of sharing a ‘harmful message’, causing a charity to express ‘deep concern’ for Channel 4 viewers.
During this week’s episode of spin-off show Bake Off: An Extra Slice, presenters Jo Brand and Tom Allen discussed the Bread Week challenge with guests Jonathan Ross, Ravneet Gill and Josh Pugh.
However, charity Coeliac UK has since demanded an ‘apology’ from the show after the celebrities ‘undermined the seriousness’ of the disease.
Jonathan declared: ‘I’ve never met a loaf I didn’t love’. Meanwhile Josh said he had ‘never met anyone who didn’t like bread’.
Ravneet added: ‘Well I love bread but my Mum’s coeliac so she shouldn’t eat bread, but she still loves it, she still eats it.’
Jo replied: ‘Good for her,’ while Jonathan joked: ‘And good for whoever cleans up after her.’
Since then the charity has written an open letter, which was also shared on Instagram, to the producers of the show ‘expressing concern’.
The letter, which is signed by chief executive officer Hilary Croft, reads: ‘These comments trivialise coeliac disease and send a harmful message to the public.
‘Coeliac disease is a serious autoimmune condition where the ingestion of gluten triggers an immune response that damages the gut lining, leading to nutrient malabsorption and a host of potential health complications.
‘Even the smallest crumb of gluten can cause severe symptoms, including debilitating pain, prolonged suffering and even recurrent miscarriage, as long-term health risks such as osteoporosis and, in rare cases, small bowel cancer.
‘It is crucial to emphasis that coeliac disease is not a food preference or an allergy; it is a serious medical condition that requires lifelong adherence to a strict gluten free diet’.
They continued: ‘We are particularly disheartened by Ravneet Gill’s comments given her previous role as a judge on the Junior Bake Off, where she displayed compassion for those that have been diagnosed with coeliac disease.
‘The remarks made during An Extra Slice perpetuate a narrative that dismisses the severity of this condition.
‘They suggest that individuals with coeliac disease should compromise their health for the sake of enjoyment, which undermines the very real challenges they face and ultimately puts their health at risk.
‘Furthermore, the laughter in response to these comments trivilaises the struggles of the 1 in 100 individuals in the UK affected by this condition.
‘It is critical that media representations acknowledge the seriousness of coeliac disease and the physical and mental health implications of adhering to a gluten free diet.
‘Discussions around gluten free diet should promote accurate understanding, respect, and accommodation for dietary needs rather than downplaying their significance.’
The charity added: ‘We are hopeful that this incident will encourage your team to engage in respectful conversations regarding coeliac disease and its impact on individuals and families.’
In the caption of the post, the Coeliac UK account said they will be ‘following up with the producers’ of the hit show and requested an ‘on-air apology for the harmful portrayal of the disease’.
Bake Off continues on Tuesday on Channel 4 at 8pm.