Bake Off’s Lottie reacts to being sent home: ‘I was ready to go’

But following her departure from the show this week – having won the episode before that – she can keep her head held high.

Speaking after the show, the 32-year-old pantomime producer said: “Well I think the ‘Curse of the Star Baker’ truly struck – it really did.

“I had run out of oomph by that stage, and I knew it was my time to go. I knew one hundred per cent before it was announced that it would be me leaving and I think all the other bakers were fully aware. I was ready to go, I had packed to go home, and I couldn’t imagine a better group of people to leave in the tent to carry on the baking.”

Lottie said that after week three, all of her clothes were borrowed. “I genuinely never thought I would make it beyond that time, so to get to episode seven was beyond my wildest baking dreams.”

Her crowning achievement was being named star baker in Japanese week, when judge Paul Hollywood raved about her ‘cotton jiggle’ cute toadstool cake. She said: “I was really shocked. I did a lot of research on Japanese baking and I did some background reading, I got really into it.

“We were all learning new techniques, and it felt the playing field was a bit more level, as we were all unsure of what we were facing.”

Her undoing was an ice-cream cassette cake which melted in the 40-degree heat of the tent. Lottie confessed she changed the design the day before and branded it a ‘disaster’.

Going back to her day job is not as simple this year, Lottie confessed: “I am not sure what is going to happen to pantos this year. I am unemployed at the moment as a producer, but my colleague and I are now thinking of something innovative to put on this Christmas, possibly streaming something. We are trying to adapt to the new climate, as the theatre industry is struggling.”

But given she is currently the most-followed baker from this series on Instagram, with more than 70,000 followers and rising, could she pursue a different career path?

Lottie said: “I am not sure what is next for me in the baking world, but anything from day one was a bonus for me.

“Having said that, me and [fellow baker] Mark have been talking about the possibility of doing our own show, touring in a camper and eating cake around the US which would be incredible if we can pull it off - if anyone wants to pay us to eat cake we’ll do it all day long.”

Lottie will join Jo Brand and Tom Allen on The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice on Friday (November 6) on Channel 4 at 8pm.

On the Gazette’s Facebook page, readers showed their support for Lottie.

Marika Waters summed up the sentiments perfectly: “Lottie was fabulous to watch...she came across so well every week and said it exactly as it was.

“Very witty, funny and a talented baker. She should be so very proud of herself. Very sad to see her go.”