Spoilers for The Great British Bake Off series 17, episode 7 (‘free from’ Party Week), shown on Channel 4 on Tuesday 3 November 2026. In the US the series streams on Netflix as The Great British Baking Show.
The short version: Gabe was named Star Baker for a bug-themed party cake. Tom won Nigella’s plant-based technical, and Mo earned a Paul Hollywood handshake. Gary, 67, became the seventh baker to leave the tent. Connie, Gabe, Mo, Moyin and Tom are in the quarter-final, which Channel 4 shows next Tuesday (10 November) at 8pm (RTÉ; Radio Times; The Independent; The Mirror).
Week 7 asked a simple question with a tricky answer: can a bake with something taken out still taste like a treat? Every bake this week had to be gluten-free, dairy-free or vegan, and the whole episode had a children’s party theme. Radio Times summed up the brief neatly: the bakers had to prove that “free-from could still be full of flavour.”
Last week, Tom picked up his third Star Baker title and Clara went home, as we covered in our Pastry Week recap. Before that, Connie took the top spot in Dessert Week. If you need a refresher on who’s who, our series 17 bakers guide has every baker’s age, hometown and job, and everything else lives on our Bake Off hub.
Signature: gluten-free laminated pastries
The first round, as The Mirror reports, asked for “delicious gluten free laminated pastries, perfect for a children’s party.” Without gluten, getting those flaky layers is a real test of technique.
Mo, the 21-year-old law student from the West Midlands and the youngest baker in the tent, rose to it. His toastie parcels earned a Hollywood Handshake, and Nigella was delighted for him. “I salute Paul saluting you,” she said, per The Mirror.
Technical: Nigella’s ‘adorable animal cake’
Nigella set the technical, and it was fully plant-based. Alison told the bakers the judges wanted an “adorable animal cake.” According to The Mirror, it was essentially a vegan chocolate cake that needed both ganache and buttercream, and each baker drew their animal design at random from a lucky dip.
Tom finished first. Nigella’s dry reaction to his win, as quoted by The Mirror: “Oh, it’s getting quite boring.”
Showstopper: an interactive birthday cake
The final round asked for a “spectacular children’s birthday cake” that was dairy-free, gluten-free or plant-based. It also had to include something interactive, though the bakers could pick their own sponge and flavours, The Mirror reports.
Gabe’s bug party cake did the job. Noel Fielding announced Gabe as Star Baker at the end of the episode. Gabe, 32, is an artist and drag king from the West Midlands, and once described their own style as “gorgeous but very homemade,” per Channel 4’s baker profiles. It was Gabe’s first Star Baker of the series, and it came at the right time, with the quarter-final next.
Gary says goodbye
Alison Hammond had the job of telling Gary his time in the tent was over. He took it with typical good grace. “It’s all right, don’t worry, no worries. I am really, really proud,” he said, as quoted by RTÉ and The Independent. “I just didn’t expect to get this far. My main aim was to get to week three, and now it’s my turn to go.”
Judge Paul Hollywood joked: “I will miss my doppelganger.” He added: “You can’t carry on wearing the same colour shirts as me every week!” Gary called the show “probably one of the best experiences I have ever had in my life.”
In his exit interview, Gary said the free-from round had been his least favourite theme, because it wasn’t something he’d practised much at home. He also said he sensed the result coming. “I felt it before they told me, as I had the down feeling,” he said. “So when I was told it was no surprise. We had a group hug and I got some lovely kind messages after.”
Gary only came to baking about five years ago, after picking up his first cookbook in a gift shop. Chesterfield-born, he’s now based in Nottinghamshire, where he lives with Donna, his wife of more than 30 years (RTÉ, via the Press Association).
What viewers said
Fans on social media were split, The Mirror reports. One wrote: “Gutted for Gary going to miss him but i’m glad Connie got through.” Another felt the decision was wrong: “Much as I love Connie, Gary’s showstopper was much better. Totally unfair.” Others questioned the format, with one complaining: “Nahhh two cakes in a non cake week is boring.”
The quarter-final line-up
Five bakers are left:
| Baker | Age | From |
|---|---|---|
| Connie | 63 | London |
| Gabe | 32 | West Midlands |
| Mo | 21 | West Midlands |
| Moyin | 22 | Essex |
| Tom | 25 | West Yorkshire |
Next up is the quarter-final, Tuesday 10 November, 8pm, on Channel 4. Connie is now the only woman left in the competition.
