Spoilers for The Great British Bake Off series 17, episode 6 (Pastry Week), shown on Channel 4 on Tuesday 27 October 2026. In the US the series streams on Netflix as The Great British Baking Show.
The short version: Tom was Star Baker for the third time this series, with a Hollywood Handshake for his showstopper. Clara became the sixth baker to leave the tent, which leaves Connie as the only woman still in the competition (Radio Times; The Independent; TV Fanatic).
Six weeks in, the tent is down to half the bakers it started with, and Pastry Week was all about pies. Here’s how each challenge went.
Signature: handheld savoury pies
Paul Hollywood and Nigella Lawson asked for eight handheld savoury pies, and the bakers showed off puff, shortcrust and hot water crust. Tom, Connie and Moyin got the best feedback, with pies inspired by Vietnam, Jamaica and Nigeria respectively (Digital Spy).
Clara aimed high with pies shaped like deer heads. The idea was charming, but the judges said she should have spent more time on the filling than the design.
Technical: Nigella’s Karpatka
Nigella set the technical: her Karpatka, a traditional Polish dessert of two layers of “beautifully baked choux pastry” filled with vanilla custard. Radio Times called it “a hike up the Carpathian Mountains”, and the bakers needed the energy.
Moyin came first, and Nigella said Moyin’s pastry “really sang”. Tom was second. Clara finished last, after being told her choux was more like a waffle (Digital Spy).
Showstopper: a freeform pie, no tins
For the showstopper, the bakers had to shape and bake a decorative pie without a tin to hold it together.
Tom made a Mexican-inspired chicken pie shaped like his “favourite stop-motion chicken” from Chicken Run. Nigella said it looked like a piece of Aztec art, and Paul gave him the Hollywood Handshake. Gabe also turned heads with a pie made in the likeness of his dog (TV Fanatic).
Clara’s pecan, apple and cinnamon pie was shaped like the sun and moon. “This design represents my mind because I suffer from bipolar disorder,” she explained. Sadly the pastry cracked in the oven, and Paul found it a little too short.
Clara’s goodbye
Alison Hammond named Tom Star Baker, and Noel Fielding had to tell Clara she was going home (Radio Times).
Clara, 24, is a marketing graduate from Portugal who was Star Baker in week 3. “I had a blast,” she said. “I never thought I could do this with my disorder, and I am really proud that I did that and hopefully I can be an inspiration for other people.” She also shared a lesson from the tent: “having a bad bake does not mean I am a bad baker, it means there’s room for improvement” (The Independent).
Who’s left
Six bakers go through: Connie, 63; Gabe, 32; Gary, 67; Mo, 21; Moyin, 22; and Tom, 25 (Stylist).
Party Week is next, Tuesday at 8pm on Channel 4. Catch up on Dessert Week, meet every baker in series 17, or head to our Bake Off hub.
Sources
- Radio Times, “Who left The Great British Bake Off 2026?” (27 October 2026): radiotimes.com
- Digital Spy, “Great British Bake Off sends home another contestant as Paul Hollywood gives out handshake” (27 October 2026): digitalspy.com
- The Independent, “Great British Bake Off: Sixth contestant leaves tent after pastry week elimination” (28 October 2026): independent.co.uk
- TV Fanatic, Pastry Week review (October 2026): tvfanatic.com
- Stylist, “Who left Bake Off 2026?”: stylist.co.uk
