The Bake Off judges sprung a shock by deciding to axe not just one, but two, bakers in week three after Ian and Urvashi bungled their breadmaking.
Ian is a professional fundraiser but he had more trouble dough-raising, with the weight of his Courgette Loaf in the signature challenge causing judge Mary some distress.
“It was so heavy I remember lifting it and thinking, ‘what’s in this?'” she recalled suspiciously.
Urvashi fared slightly better in the first challenge but Paul said her Peppercorn Loaf was under-salted.
The pair then finished in the bottom two of the technical challenge, making a hash of master baker Paul’s focaccia recipe.
Ian confessed to a “moment of madness” in deviating from Paul’s recipe.
Things went from bad to worse in the final challenge, in which bakers made a bread basket with 24 rolls.
“These little fellas are not getting any flavour,” complained Paul of Ian’s walnut and raisin rolls.
He also criticised Urvashi’s flavour combination, in which haloumi had been “murdered” by chilli.
“She made a beautiful loaf but she was very poor on her flavours,” Mary surmised on Urvashi’s performance.
Paul was similarly disparaging of Ian’s efforts, saying: “His breads looked okay but there was no substance to them.”
Thankfully, the binned bakers were able to put on a brave face.
“In a funny kind of way it has given me confidence so overall I think I’m happy,” said Urvashi.
“I’m gutted but I will always have the love of baking,” remarked Ian philosophically.