Great British Bake Off 2020 FINAL: Peter, 20, is crowned the WINNER as he becomes the youngest EVER champion at the first finale without family and friends allowed in tent
Peter Sawkins was crowned the winner of the 2020 Great British Bake Off on Tuesday night as he became the show’s youngest ever champion.
The accounting and finance student, 20, impressed judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith after going against Dave Friday and Laura Adlington in the tent.
During Tuesday’s final (complete with a brief thunderstorm!), the three bakers had to make eight beautifully decorated custard slices as the signature bake, eight walnut whirls as the technical challenge and dessert towers as the showstopper.
Winner! Peter Sawkins was crowned the winner of the 2020 Great British Bake Off on Tuesday night as he became the show’s youngest ever champion
Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, the contestants weren’t joined by their family and friends for the first time ever during a finale on the show. They instead were sent video messages.
Yet the tent wasn’t left empty as the cast and crew of Bake Off, which formed a bubble with the contestants, were on hand to give their support and taste their showstopper creations.
The contestants formed a ‘biosphere’ with the cast and crew of Bake Off after quarantining for nine days, with everyone involved tested three times before filming started over the summer.
After impressing the judges with his cranachan custard slices, walnut whirls and his ‘bonkers Bake Off bubble cake’, Peter was announced the winner.
The Scottish student was left speechless over the announcement as he remarked: ‘No, I can’t believe that I am here…
‘I can’t quite believe that I made it onto the show, that the show happened and this is going to be such a huge chapter of my life. What a way for it to end!’
Peter then excitedly phoned his family and friends to share the news as he proudly held the Bake Off winner glass cake stand.
Talking about the baker’s win, judge Paul said: ‘Peter is the youngest winner we have ever had and the first Scottish winner we have ever had.’
While Prue sweetly added: ‘I am very proud of him, I feel like he is my grandson.’
Finalists: The accounting and finance student, 20, impressed judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith after going against Dave Friday and Laura Adlington in the tent
The current series took place at Down Hall Hotel in Essex over the summer after five years of filming at Welford Park in Berkshire, with all cast and crew members undergoing regular COVID-19 testing in an isolation bubble amid the pandemic.
Before entering the ‘biosphere’, the contestants had to quarantine for nine days with the 130 people involved with the show tested three times before filming.
Producers said they drew up a list of safety rules ‘longer than the Bible’ before filming started for the new socially-distanced series with Paul’s signature handshake given the green light despite fears of spreading the virus.