The Great British Bake Off 2025 has barely begun, but viewers are already fuming over what many branded a “cruel” first technical.
In the debut episode on September 2, judges Dame Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood tasked the 12 amateur bakers with creating fondant fancies — but with a brutal twist. Contestants were presented with a selection of ingredients, though not all belonged in the recipe, and were only given a single fondant fancy to taste and study before starting.
Frustrated contestants were left with their heads in their hands as the challenge unfolded, and social media lit up with viewers sharing the same sentiment. One fan declared: “The technical is so ridiculously hard this week.” Another branded it “a harsh technical for week one,” while a third admitted: “Giving them extra ingredients is evil… I love it!”
The episode also featured a patterned swiss roll as the Signature challenge, with Tom coming bottom of the technical while Toby triumphed — though Paul warned: “Don’t clap, they still weren’t perfect.”
It’s only the beginning of the ten-week competition, but if this week’s “evil” twist is anything to go by, 2025’s GBBO might just be the toughest series yet.
