The Great British Bake Off series 5

This article is about the fifth series, which aired as the first season of the PBS broadcast. For the first series, see The Great British Bake Off (series 1).

The fifth series of The Great British Bake Off first aired on 6 August 2014, with twelve contestants.^[1] Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins presented the show and Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood returned as judges. Twelve contestants competed in this series, and the competition was held in Welford Park in Berkshire.^[2] The series was won by Nancy Birtwhistle, with Luis Troyano and Richard Burr finishing as runners-up.

The Great British Bake Off
Series 5
British digital release
Starring	Mel Giedroyc Sue Perkins Mary Berry Paul Hollywood
No. of episodes	10
Release
Original network	BBC One
Original release	6 August (2014-08-06) – 8 October 2014 (2014-10-08)
Series chronology
← Previous Series 4 Next → Series 6

The programme was moved from BBC Two to BBC One starting this year, but the Masterclass episodes remained on BBC Two. A companion series, The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice, hosted by comedian Jo Brand, started this year on BBC Two.

The fifth series was broadcast as the first season on PBS in the United States.

Bakers

Baker^[3]	Age	Occupation	Hometown	Links
Chetna Makan	35	Fashion Designer	Broadstairs, Kent	^[4]^[5]
Claire Goodwin	31	Speech Therapist	Ashton upon Mersey, Trafford	^[6]^[7]
Diana Beard	69	Women's Institute (WI) Judge	Alkington, Shropshire	^[8]
Enwezor Nzegwu	39	Business Consultant	Portsmouth, Hampshire	^[9]
Iain Watters	31	Construction Engineer	London/Belfast	^[10]
Jordan Cox	32	IT Manager	Sneinton, Nottingham	^[11]^[12]
Kate Henry	41	Furniture Restorer	Brighton, East Sussex	^[13]
Luis Troyano	42	Graphic Designer	Poynton, Cheshire	^[14]^[15]
Martha Collison	17	Student	Ascot, Berkshire	^[16]
Nancy Birtwhistle	60	Retired Practice Manager	Barton-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire	^[17]
Norman Calder	66	Retired Naval Officer	Portknockie, Moray	^[18]
Richard Burr	38	Builder	Mill Hill, London	^[19]^[20]

Results summary

Elimination chart

Baker	1	2	3	4	5^[a]	6^[b]	7	8	9	10
Nancy	SB	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	HIGH	HIGH	HIGH	LOW	LOW	WINNER
Luis	SAFE	HIGH	SB	HIGH	SAFE	HIGH	SAFE	HIGH	HIGH	Runner-up
Richard	HIGH	SB	SAFE	SB	LOW	LOW	SB	SB	SB
Chetna	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SB	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
Martha	HIGH	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	LOW	SAFE	LOW	OUT
Kate	SAFE	SAFE	HIGH	HIGH	SB	LOW	OUT
Norman	SAFE	LOW	LOW	LOW	OUT
Diana	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	WD
Iain	LOW	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
Jordan	LOW	SAFE	OUT
Enwezor	SAFE	OUT
Claire	OUT

^[a] Diana left the show after episode 4 due to illness. Her departure was announced at the start of episode 5. The night before episode 5 was scheduled to be taped, she suffered a head injury, resulting in an overnight stay in A&E and a loss of her senses of taste and smell that persisted.^[21][22]

^[b] Because the judges were unable to agree, no-one was eliminated this week.

Colour key:

  Baker was one of the judges' least favourite bakers that week, but was not eliminated.

  Baker was one of the judges' favourite bakers that week, but was not the Star Baker.

  Baker got through to the next round.

  Baker was eliminated.

  Baker withdrew from the show.

  Baker was the Star Baker.

  Baker was the series runner-up.

  Baker was the series winner.

Episodes

Episode 1: Cakes

For their first bake, the contestants were required to make a Swiss Roll as their signature challenge in 2¹⁄₂ hours. For the technical bake, the bakers were set the challenge of baking a cherry cake in 2 hours using Mary Berry's recipe. In the showstopper challenge, the bakers were given 3¹⁄₂ hours to bake their own choice of classic British cakes in miniature. The bakers needed to make 36 cakes of identical size, shape and texture.

Baker	Signature (Swiss Roll)	Technical (Cherry Cake)	Showstopper (36 Classic Miniature British Cakes)	Result
Chetna	Cardamom, Pistachio and Coffee Swiss Roll	3rd	Tiered Victoria Sponges with Lemon Curd and Raspberry Cream	Safe
Claire	Chocolatey Orangey Swiss Roll	8th	Mini Chocolate and Cherry Cakes	Eliminated
Diana	Mum's Sunday Tea Lemon Curd Swiss Roll	5th	Chocolate Ganache Surprises	Safe
Enwezor	Raspberry and Lemon Swiss Roll	9th	Coffee and Walnut Battenberg Squares	Safe
Iain	Apricot and Basil Swiss Roll with Mascarpone and White Chocolate Cream	4th	Lemon Drizzle Cakes with Mascarpone Filling, Drizzled Icing and Candied Lemon	Safe
Jordan	Kawaii Frasier Swiss Roll	12th	Lemon Drizzle Cakes with Blueberry and Lemon Curd	Safe
Kate	Red Velvet and White Chocolate Swiss Roll	6th	Mini Tiered Victoria Sponges	Safe
Luis	Spanish Swiss Roll	7th	Raspberry and Lemon Genoise Slices with Lemon Drizzles	Safe
Martha	Tiramisu Swiss Roll	2nd	Mini Lemon and Thyme Drizzle Cakes	Safe
Nancy	Coffee and Hazelnut Swiss Roll	1st	Jaffa Orange Cakes	Star Baker
Norman	Black Forest Swiss Roll	11th	Almond and Raspberry Mini Cakes	Safe
Richard	Pistachio and Strawberry Swiss Roll	10th	Miniature Coffee and Walnut Cakes	Safe

Episode 2: Biscuits

In the signature, the bakers had 2 hours to bake 36 savoury biscuits. In the technical challenge, they had 1¹⁄₄ hours with Mary Berry's recipe for 18 florentines, which the bakers found difficult. In the final challenge, the bakers had 4 hours to make a 3D biscuit scene/structure.

Baker	Signature (36 Savoury Biscuits)	Technical (18 Florentines)	Showstopper (3D Biscuit Scene)	Result
Chetna	Fenugreek and Carom Crackers	8th	Day On The Beach	Safe
Diana	Parmesan Triangles	7th	Express, First Class	Safe
Enwezor	Pumpkin and Sunflower Seed Savoury Biscuits	9th	Space Adventure Moon Scene	Eliminated
Iain	Za'atar and Fig Biscuits	11th	Wild West Scene	Safe
Jordan	Sourdough, Parmesan and Chilli Biscuits	6th	Monster Attack	Safe
Kate	Parmesan and Apple Biscuits	4th	Tea Time	Safe
Luis	Black Olive and Rosemary Biscuits with Caramelised Onion Glaze	3rd	George Versus The Dragon	Safe
Martha	Caramelised Onion and Goat's Cheese Sandwich Biscuits	5th	Ski Village Scene	Safe
Nancy	Fennel and Rye Thins	2nd	Hansel and Gretel Scene	Safe
Norman	Farthing Biscuits	10th	Zulu Boats at Dawn	Safe
Richard	Rosemary Seeded Crackers	1st	Pirates!	Star Baker

Episode 3: Bread

In bread week, the bakers firstly had to make 12 rye bread rolls in 3¹⁄₂ hours. In the technical challenge, they were given 3 hours to make 4 ciabatta loaves using Paul Hollywood's recipe, with the advice from Paul that they should be patient. In the showstopper, the bakers were required to make a bread centrepiece in 4 hours. The centrepiece should be a filled-loaf that is spectacular and tasty, and would be judged on its appearance, design and crust, and should be well-baked on the inside.

Baker	Signature (12 Rye Bread Rolls)	Technical (4 Ciabattas)	Showstopper (Filled Centrepiece Loaf)	Result
Chetna	Onion and Pine Nut Rolls	8th	Rolled and Filled Twin Loaf	Safe
Diana	Rustic Picnic Rolls	7th	Sharing Savoury Pinwheel	Safe
Iain	Cranberry and Walnut Rye Bread Rolls	9th	Moroccan Plaited with a Bessara Dip	Safe
Jordan	Rye and Spelt Bread Rolls	10th	Strawberry Raspberry Cheesecake Brioche	Eliminated
Kate	Orange and Cardamom Rye Bread Knots	1st	Prosciutto, Olive & Coriander Bread	Safe
Luis	Opposites Attract Rolls	2nd	Roscón de Reyes	Star Baker
Martha	Date and Walnut Rye Rolls	3rd	Stuffed Sunflower Loaf	Safe
Nancy	Cider and Walnut Crusty Rolls	5th	'Full English' Stromboli	Safe
Norman	Rye Bread Rolls	4th	Chicken and Roasted Vegetable Picnic Loaf	Safe
Richard	Rye and Cranberry Rolls	6th	Pesto Pinwheel	Safe

Episode 4: Desserts

For the signature bake, the judges gave the bakers two hours to make 8 self-saucing puddings, meaning the sauce should come from the bake itself. The bakers may choose to make either a fondant or a sponge which creates its own sauce at the bottom. In the technical, they had to bake Mary Berry's own tiramisu cake recipe in 2¹⁄₂ hours. In the showstopper, they had 4¹⁄₂ hours to make baked Alaskas.

Baker	Signature (8 Self-Saucing Puddings)	Technical (Tiramisu Cake)	Showstopper (Baked Alaska)	Result
Chetna	Rhubarb, Strawberry and Orange Puddings	3rd	Mango, Raspberry and Coconut Baked Alaska	Safe
Diana	Orange and Lemon Curd Pots	9th	Raspberry Ripple Alaska Swan	Safe
Iain	Chocolate, Lime and Raspberry Fondants	6th	Chocolate, Black Sesame Seed and Coffee Caramel Baked Alaska (not presented)	Eliminated
Kate	Chocolate and Salted Caramel Molten Puddings	7th	Pistachio, Raspberry and Chocolate Baked Alaska	Safe
Luis	Pears in Puddings	2nd	Bakewell Alaska	Safe
Martha	Peanut Butter Chocolate Fondants	1st	Key Lime Baked Alaska	Safe
Nancy	Pistachio Puddings with Chocolate Sauce	4th	Summer Pudding Alaska	Safe
Norman	Mini Sticky Toffee Puddings	8th	Baked Alaska with Strawberry Surprise	Safe
Richard	Black Forest Chocolate Fondants	5th	Tiramisu Baked Alaska	Star Baker

Many of the bakers struggled to make baked Alaskas, as it was the hottest day of the year so far, and two of five refrigerators were broken, resulting in a struggle among the contestants for enough freezer space.^[23] During the bake, Diana took Iain's ice cream and sponge cake assembly out of the freezer to make room for hers, mistakenly leaving it out on a counter in the hot tent. When Iain found it, the ice cream had melted and, frustrated, he threw the sponge cake and melted ice cream in the dustbin. (It was later stated by producers that the dessert was only out for one minute.) Paul and Mary chastised him for this decision, explaining that they would rather have judged sample pieces of each baked Alaska component or even a melted final product than nothing at all, and his decision to present Paul and Mary with nothing to judge contributed to his elimination. Viewers of the show objected on Twitter, attacking Diana.^[23] Iain spoke out against these online attacks,^[23] and Diana claimed that the editing had distorted the truth, "stitching [her] up". She subsequently withdrew from the show after suffering an injury from a fall.^[24]

Episode 5: Pies and Tarts

For signature challenge, the bakers were set the task of a family-sized custard tart in 2¹⁄₂ hours. The tart should have a crispy base and silky custard. The technical challenge is set using one of Paul Hollywood's recipes, and the bakers were required to make 6 mini pear pies, which are poached pears surrounded by rough puff pastry, to be completed in 5 hours. In the showstopper, the bakers were tasked with making tiered pies in 4¹⁄₂ hours. The pies needed to be able to support themselves, and should have at least 3 tiers and share a common theme.

Baker	Signature (Custard Tart)	Technical (Mini Pear Pies)	Showstopper (Three-Tiered Pie)	Result
Chetna	Rice Custard Tart with Mangoes and Raspberries	2nd	Fusion Tiered Pies	Safe
Diana	Withdrew^[a]
Kate	Rhubarb and Custard Tart	3rd	Rhubarb, Prune and Apple Pies	Star Baker
Luis	Tropical Manchester Tart	6th	Four Fruity Seasons Tower	Safe
Martha	Pistachio, Apricot and Honey Custard Tart	1st	Three Little Pigs Pie	Safe
Nancy	Chocolate Crusted Passion Fruit Tart	4th	Trio of Apple Pies	Safe
Norman	Tarte au Citron	5th	Pieful Tower	Eliminated
Richard	Fig and Orange Tart	7th	Three Course Autumn Pie Feast	Safe

1. Before the signature round began, it was announced that Diana had withdrawn from the competition for health reasons; though specifics were not mentioned on air, Diana stated later that she had lost her sense of taste and smell in a fall.^[24]

Episode 6: European Cakes

For the signature bake, the challenge was to bake a European-inspired cake, but it had to be leavened with yeast. The bakers were given 3 hours for the challenge. The technical challenge was set using one of Mary Berry's recipes for a Swedish Princess cake, Prinsesstårta. The recipe is the most complicated yet, requiring 26 separate ingredients with 14 stages, and to be completed in 2¹⁄₄ hours. For the showstopper challenge, the bakers were required to make a contemporary version of the Hungarian Dobos Torte in 5 hours. The cake should have at least two tiers, with particular emphasis on caramel sugar work on the cake.

Baker	Signature (Yeast-Leavened Cake)	Technical (Prinsesstårta)	Showstopper (Dobos Torte)	Result^[a]
Chetna	Orange Savarin with Cinnamon Cream	2nd	Almond Liqueur Dobos Torte with Chocolate Caramel Buttercream	Star Baker
Kate	Pecan, Chocolate and Sour Cherry Yeast Cake	6th	Trio of Dobos Tortes	Safe
Luis	Apple and Cinnamon Kugelhopf with Honeyed Apples	3rd	The Cage on the Rocky Hill	Safe
Martha	Dark Chocolate and Almond Liqueur Savarin	4th	Chess-Themed Chocolate and Salted Caramel Dobos Torte	Safe
Nancy	Rum Punch Savarin with Coconut Cream and Tropical Fruits	1st	Chocolate and Caramel Dobos Torte	Safe
Richard	Fruity Guglhupf with an Orange Glaze	5th	Sugar Forest Dobos Torte	Safe

1. No one was eliminated this week as the judges could not agree on the worst-performing baker, stating it was between Richard and Kate. As Diana left the show before the previous week's contest due to illness, it was possible not to eliminate anyone.

Episode 7: Pastry

In their first task, the bakers were set the challenge of making 12 savoury pastry parcels, to be completed in 1³⁄₄ hours. The parcels can be of any type of pastries, but should be uniform in size, well-filled, perfectly cooked and well-sealed to prevent leaks. The technical bake was, for the first time that none of the bakers had heard of, the Breton pastry, kouign-amann, using one of Paul Hollywood's recipes. The bakers should make 12 identical kouign-amanns in 3¹⁄₂ hours. For the final challenge, the bakers were required to make 24 éclairs of two different flavours (12 of each) in 4 hours. The éclairs should be made of choux pastry and éclair-shaped, otherwise the bakers were free to do as they wished to produce a showstopper.

Baker	Signature (12 Savoury Parcels)	Technical (Kouign-Amann)	Showstopper (24 Éclairs)	Result
Chetna	Crispy Lentil Kachori	6th	Chocolate and Mango & Lemon Meringue Éclairs	Safe
Kate	Spinach and Paneer Spicy Samosa	4th	Neapolitan & Lemon Meringue Éclairs	Eliminated
Luis	Childhood Empanadas	5th	Stars and Stripes Éclairs	Safe
Martha	Mini Beef Wellingtons	3rd	Rhubarb and Custard & Maple Syrup and Bacon Éclairs	Safe
Nancy	Spicy Duck Pasties	2nd	Smoked Salmon and Horseradish & Raspberry Ripple Éclairs	Safe
Richard	Minted Lamb Pasties	1st	Stair of Éclairs	Star Baker

Episode 8: Advanced Dough

For the signature bake, they were given the challenge of making sweet fruit loaves that must be free form. They had 2¹⁄₂ hours for the bake which is challenging as the bakers were required to use enriched dough which takes longer to proof. In the technical, they had 2¹⁄₂ hours to make a povitica, which Chetna had made for her signature loaf. This technical challenge was particularly hard for most of the bakers, many of whose loafs were raw inside and deemed unsafe to eat. Doughnuts were set as the challenge in the final task, and the bakers were required to make 18 each of two different sorts, to be completed in 4 hours.

Baker	Signature (Fruit Loaf)	Technical (Povitica)	Showstopper (36 Doughnuts)	Result
Chetna	Date and Walnut Swirl Bread	1st	Chocolate Mousse Filled Doughnuts Braided Doughnuts	Safe
Luis	Black Forest Cherry Tree	2nd	Cocktail Doughnuts	Safe
Martha	Spiced Plum Iced Bread Swirl	5th	Glazed Lemon & Poppyseed Doughnuts Chocolate & Passion Fruit Doughnuts	Eliminated
Nancy	Lincolnshire Plum Braid	3rd	Doughnut Family Tree	Safe
Richard	Fruit Swedish Tea Ring	4th	Rhubarb and Custard Toffee Apple Doughnuts	Star Baker

Episode 9: Pâtisserie (Semi-final)

For the signature challenge, the bakers had to make baklava, including their own filo pastry, with a time limit of 3¹⁄₂ hours to complete the challenge. There had to be two different types of baklava, and 24 portions in total. For the technical challenge, the bakers had to make a schichttorte, and had 2 hours to complete it. There had to be 20 layers in their schichttorte, and was one of Paul Hollywood's recipes. For the showstopper challenge, the bakers had to make entremets, very small and fine cakes put in a window of a French pâtisserie. They had to make two different types of entremets, 12 of each, and had 5 hours to complete the challenge.

Baker	Signature (24 Baklava)	Technical (Schichttorte)	Showstopper (24 Entremets)	Result
Chetna	Chocolate Orange Baklava Masala Chai Baklava	4th	Chocolate, Orange & Nut Entremets Cappuccino Entremets	Eliminated
Luis	Indian Rose Baklava Halwa Baklava Rolls	1st	Chocolate Mousse & Cherry Entremets Pomegranate, Fig & Pistachio Sponge	Safe
Nancy	Coffee and Chocolate Baklava Breakfast Baklava	3rd	Raspberry Nonnettes Lime and Passion Fruit Entremets	Safe
Richard	Rose and Pistachio Baklava Walnut and Almond Baklava	2nd	Hazelnut Mocha Entremets Pink Grapefruit Entremets	Star Baker

Episode 10: Final

In the final signature challenge, the bakers had to make Viennoiserie in 3¹⁄₂ hours. They had to make 2 different types of the pastry. In the technical, the judges decided to bring things "back to basics" by asking the bakers to bake 12 Victoria Sandwiches, Tartes au Citron and Scones. The challenge, however, was that they had only 2 hours to make this with only 3 instructions. The final Showstopper was a Pièce Montée. The bakers were given 5 hours to make this, and the judges said it must be in some self-standing structure.

Baker	Signature (Viennoiserie)	Technical (12 Mini Victoria Sandwiches, 12 Mini Tarte au Citron, 12 Mini Scones)	Showstopper (Pièce Montée)	Result
Luis	Apple, Walnut, Raisin and Cheshire Cheese Chaussons Pain au Chocolat Blanc with Raspberries and Cream Cheese	2nd	Village in Chocolate	Runner-up
Nancy	Apple and Lemon Kites Raspberry and Almond Croissants	1st	Red Windmill	Winner
Richard	Pear Pain au Chocolat Pain Au Lait	3rd	Mill on the Hill	Runner-up

Masterclasses

Mary and Paul demonstrated how to bake the technical challenges that they set for the bakers as well as their own favorite recipes for some of the other challenges set in the series. They also gave some tips on baking techniques. The Masterclasses episodes were shown on BBC2.

Episode 1

	Bake 1	Bake 2	Bake 3
Mary	Cherry Cake	Florentines	Miniature Coffee and Walnut Cakes
Paul	Blackcurrant and Liquorice Swiss Roll	Savoury Biscuits	—

Episode 2

	Bake 1	Bake 2	Bake 3
Mary	Tiramisu Cake	Neapolitan Baked Alaska	—
Paul	Ciabatta	Roquefort and Walnut Loaf	Chocolate Volcanoes

Episode 3

	Bake 1	Bake 2	Bake 3
Mary	Chocolate and Orange Tart	Prinsesstårta	Almond Praline and Caramel-Coated Hazelnut Dobos Torte
Paul	Mini Sausage Plaits	Kouign-Amann	—

Episode 4

	Bake 1	Bake 2	Bake 3
Mary	Lemon and Raspberry Éclairs	Double Chocolate Mousse Entremets	—
Paul	Chocolate and Cherry Loaf	Povitica	Chocolate and Raspberry Doughnuts

Christmas special

	Bake 1	Bake 2	Bake 3
Mary	White Chocolate and Ginger Cheesecake	Genoa Cake	Almond Galette
Paul	St. Lucia Buns	Mincemeat and Marzipan Couronne	Kransekake

Controversy

"Bingate"

In the fourth episode of the series, there was controversy over the events that preceded the elimination of contestant Iain Watters. During the final showstopper round contestants were tasked with producing a baked Alaska. Iain's ice cream was shown as having not set, and in a show of frustration, he threw his bake in the bin. The editing of the show suggested that another contestant, Diana Beard, had caused the failure by removing the ice cream from a freezer for her own ice cream, and the perceived "sabotage" resulted in a furore on social media networks.^[25]

More than 800 complaints were lodged with the BBC, and some complained to the communication watchdog Ofcom.^[26] Some members of the cast, however, posted comments in support of Diana,^[27] and a BBC spokesman later issued a statement:

"As shown in the episode, Iain became the fourth baker to leave the tent because he didn't present Paul and Mary with anything to judge in the showstopper challenge and both judges were very clear about the reasoning behind the decision. Due to the extreme temperature in the tent that day, many of the bakers struggled to get their ice cream to set as seen in the episode. Diana removing Iain's ice cream from the freezer for less than a minute was in no way responsible for Iain's departure."^[28]

The claim that his dish was only left out for a short time was, however, challenged by Iain Watters, who said that it was left long enough to ruin the dessert.^[29]

Fellow contestant Jordan Cox criticized the show's production, claiming the freezers were not very good in quality, and were chosen only for their aesthetics.^[30]

Diana Beard left the show before the next episode was filmed due to illness.^[31][32]

Beard later gave an interview to BBC Radio Shropshire:

"I'm disappointed with the way it's been portrayed. I've been stitched up, haven't I? We were 12 amateur bakers, [there's] no prize money involved. Why would I sabotage Iain's Baked Alaska? This has made it look like some cutthroat competition. I think someone's culpable for the editing, really."^[33]

Beard also said that Iain's ice cream had been out of the freezer for no more than 40 seconds, and that her conscience was clear.^[33]

Innuendo

A number of viewers complained to the BBC feedback show Points of View in the fifth series about the "constant smutty remarks" from the presenters Mel and Sue.^[34][35] This series was seen as having more innuendos than previous ones; some reviewers noted the "extra pinch of saucy spice" and "the increasingly filthy-minded hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins",^[36][37] though Series 3 winner John Whaite argued that innuendo is part of what made the show a success,^[38] while Paul Hollywood described the innuendo as banter in the spirit of the Carry On films and is a part of British culture,^[39] a view shared by others.^[40][41]

Post-show careers

Richard Burr's book on baking, BIY: Bake it Yourself, was released on 16 August 2015.^[42]

Luis Troyano also wrote a book, Bake It Great, released on 20 August 2015.^[43] He died of oesophageal cancer in November 2020 at the age of 48.^[44]

Chetna Makan has written a baking book The Cardamom Trail, released on 21 March 2016, as well as a cookbook Chai, Chaat & Chutney: A Street Food Journey Through India, published on 6 July 2017.^[45][46] Makan has continued to write cookbooks focused on Indian cooking, with Chetna's Healthy Indian, Chetna's Healthy Indian Vegetarian, and Chetna's 30-Minute Indian published in 2019, 2020, and 2021 respectively.^[47]

Martha Collison has written two baking books, Twist, released on 14 July 2016, and Crave, published 13 July 2017 with Harper Collins.^[48] She also has a weekly column with Waitrose^[49] and is a charity ambassador for Tearfund.^[50]

Nancy Birtwhistle released her first book ‘Sizzle and Drizzle’^[51] in 2020. She released her second book, Clean & Green: 101 Hints and Tips for a More Eco-Friendly Home in 2021.^[52]

Ratings

The series started with its highest ratings for its opening episode after its move to BBC One, with over 7 million tuning in according to overnight figures.^[53] This is adjusted to 8.5 million for its 7-day final viewing figure, making this its second most-watched episode after previous year's final.^[54] In the fourth episode, 8.1 million watched the original broadcast,^[55] but the "bingate" controversy gained the show a further 2 million viewers on the BBC iPlayer catch-up service, giving the show the biggest ever audience with 10.248 million viewers for the episode.^[56][57] The final of the show gained an overnight viewing figure of 12.29 million,^[58] and a consolidated average figure of 13.5 million, the highest viewing figure for a non-sporting event of the year on UK TV, after 2014 FIFA World Cup's England vs Uruguay match.^[59] Series 5 had an average of viewing figure of 10.1 million.^[60]

Official episode viewing figures are from BARB.^[61]

Episode no.	Airdate	Viewers (millions)	BBC One weekly ranking	Weekly ranking all channels^[62]
1	6 August 2014 (2014-08-06)	8.51	1	1
2	13 August 2014 (2014-08-13)	8.79	1	1
3	20 August 2014 (2014-08-20)	9.28	1	1
4	27 August 2014 (2014-08-27)	10.25	1	2
5	3 September 2014 (2014-09-03)	9.95	1	2
6	10 September 2014 (2014-09-10)	10.13	1	2
7	17 September 2014 (2014-09-17)	10.28	1	2
8	24 September 2014 (2014-09-24)	9.02^3	2	4
9	1 October 2014 (2014-10-01)	10.67	1	1
10	8 October 2014 (2014-10-08)	13.51	1	1

^{^Note 3} The programme was rescheduled to BBC Two in Scotland due to a football game.

Specials

The Great British Bake Off Masterclass

Episode no.	Airdate	Viewers (millions)	BBC Two weekly ranking
1	9 October 2014 (2014-10-09)	1.99	12
2	10 October 2014 (2014-10-10)	1.53	24
3	15 October 2014 (2014-10-15)	2.16	7
4	16 October 2014 (2014-10-16)	1.42	23

The Great British Bake Off, Class of 2013

Episode no.	Airdate	Viewers (millions)	BBC Two weekly ranking
	12 October 2014 (2014-10-12)	—	—

The Great British Bake Off, Christmas Masterclass

Episode no.	Airdate	Viewers (millions)	BBC Two weekly ranking
	16 December 2014 (2014-12-16)	3.03	5

References

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3. "Bakers". BBC. 29 July 2014.
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5. Chetna Makan. "Chetna Makan: About Me".
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7. Clair Goodwin. "Claire Goodwin's Bake Therapy Bake You Better".
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9. Ian Proctor (7 August 2014). "Harrow-born and bred contestant on The Great British Bake Off survives first week – but 'overbaked' twice". Get West London.
10. Claire Cromie (6 August 2014). "Great British Bake Off: Belfast's bearded baker Iain Watters whips up a reaction online". Belfast Telegraph.
11. Marcus Boocock (6 August 2014). "Great British Bake Off: Jordan Cox through to next round". Nottingham Post.
12. Jordan Cox, Muffin Impossible
13. "Swiss roll swirl keeps Brighton baker Kate in Great British Bake Off". Brighton and Hove News. 6 August 2014.
14. Denise Evans (6 August 2014). "GBBO 2014: Greater Manchester's bakers ready for the off". Manchester Evening News.
15. "Luis Troyano".
16. . The Villager. 7 August 2014. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014.
17. David Scun (6 August 2014). "Barton baker Nancy Birtwhistle on The Great British Bake Off on BBC1 tonight with Mary Berry & Paul Hollywood". Scunthope Telegraph.
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External links

• The Great British Bake Off series 5 at BBC Online