“There’s Dave,” said Ricky. “I really wanted to like him. But I think he might have been a prick.”

“He’s wearing a fedora, mate.” That was Terry, craning awkwardly past Lauren. “Sure sign of a wanker.”

Half turning, Lauren contrived to get in Terry’s way to a frankly impressive extent. “Excuse me? I own several fedoras.”

“It’s okay, Loz.” Rosaline nestled deeper into Harry’s embrace. “There’s different rules for lesbians.”

“It’s Mummy,” cried Amelie, pointing helpfully. “Mummy, you look pretty.”

“Excuse me,” Rosaline told her, “I look like somebody who is going to win this whole damn thing.”

Except . . . she didn’t. She looked like somebody who’d missed her train, tried to impress an arsehole by lying to him, and had no idea what she wanted or what she was doing. But that was okay.

Because she was going to work it out.

Since Leaving the Competition

DAVE dropped out of university to travel round Nepal and has not been seen since.

FLORIAN and his partner Scott are still not married. They still do not care.

RICKY has completed his degree and now works for Procter & Gamble, a job he describes as “a bit of a laugh.”

CLAUDIA returned to her legal practice, but still bakes at weekends.

JOSIE continues to bake for children and her husband’s parishioners. Apparently they like her payne foundewe even if the judges didn’t.

ANVITA has qualified as an optician and is finally engaged to her boyfriend. Her nan is very proud of her.

HARRY is still working as an electrician with his dad, but has started running hands-on cooking classes in primary schools on his days off. His nieces’ friends continually ask him for mermaid cakes.

NORA turned down a six-figure book deal, saying, “It’s just cakes; throw it in a bowl and see what happens.”

ALAIN launched his own cooking-themed YouTube channel called The Cotswold Baker. It currently has 247 subscribers.

ROSALINE is now a full-time cookery writer. She and Amelie live in a house that no longer has aliens in the boiler. They are currently negotiating pet options between a very small dog that Amelie feels should be called Anglerfish or a tank of hissing cockroaches.

Grace Forsythe, Marianne Wolvercote,

Wilfred Honey, Colin Thrimp,

and Jennifer Hallett return next season on

Bake Expectations with a delightful

new group of bakers in

Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble!