From Bingate to Custardgate: 10 of the biggest Great British Bake Off blunders

From #Bingate to accidentally revealing the winner before the show airs, here are some of the biggest Bake Off disasters.

The Great British Bake Off has been on our TV screens for more than a decade now, and with so many series and contestants there have been plenty of incidents in the tent.

The latest series of the show has been just as entertaining as those which have come before, from disasters to triumphs there have even been a few errors which could have proved problematic.

But not to worry - there's still plenty of time for blunders and near misses, as Cristy and Rowan proved during biscuit week with a near miss.

Though if you're looking for some more historic - and iconic - incidents, here are 10 Great British Bake Off blunders from across the years.

#Bingate

Arguably one of the most controversial moments in the Bake Off tent ever; when Iain Watters ice cream melted after his fellow contestant Diana Beard removed his dessert from the freezer during the 2014 series.

Viewers at home watched in horror as Iain, furious, shoved the Baked Alaska in the bin which he later presented to the judges.

However, he was criticised for losing his temper as the judges ruled they still could have tasted it for flavour before being eliminated from the competition.

#Custardgate

In series four there was another case of baker error when Deborah picked up her competitor’s custard.

After realising she had used it in her trifle, the stunned baker immediately confessed to host Sue Perkins.

Howard, the unwitting victim of this incident, was able to survive another week with fans labelling the incident Custardgate.

Store bought fondant

Series five contestant Enwezor horrified Bake Off audiences for a different reason, this time by using store-bought fondant for his showstopper.

The North London baker was summarily dismissed from the tent with the judges unable to get over his decision even though his biscuit creation was otherwise sound.

This incident was, in true Bake Off fashion, labelled #fondantgate by fans.

Right side up pineapple upside down cakes

During series 11 of the show, baker Sura frantically tried to swat a fly away from the gingham technical table.

However, her enthusiasm saw her accidentally knock all but two of fellow contestant Dave’s pineapple upside down cakes onto the floor.

Prue revealing the winner

Prue Leith attends the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards 2019. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

Following Bake Off’s move from the BBC to Channel 4, it was also the first series of Bake Off to feature Prue Leith.

Which is why it was such a shock when the judge accidentally revealed that Sophie Faldo had won – 12 hours early.

John Whaite mixes up salt and sugar

During the first episode of series three, John, who eventually went on to win, mixed up the salt and sugar in his bake.

The mix up was discovered, unfortunately, by Paul Hollywood who unceremoniously spit the rum baba out in disgust.

Feeding Mary Berry carpet

Series 3 contestant Cathryn attempted a new way to knead her dough on the advice of her fellow contestant.

However it was a near disaster after she slung the mix onto the floor and sparking one of the most iconic innuendos from the show, ever.

“It’s got green carpet in it. I’m not serving Mary Berry green carpet."

Sue squishes Howard’s muffins

While chatting to series 4 contestant Howard – the victim of Custardgate – Sue Perkins accidentally leaned onto his muffins, squishing them.

Her good intentions did end in mishap, with Howard having to present significantly dented muffins.

James Morton drops cake mix on the floor

While we wouldn’t be able to include every single time a cake went awry, during series 3 Scottish baker James Morton accidentally dropped his entire cake mixture on the floor while it was being put in the oven.

A particularly memorable mishap which he was able to recover from with just enough time to whip up another mix.

Ruby’s drooping cakes

The gasps which sounded from both the bakers and the audience at home was during series 9’s vegan week.

After finishing up their bakes amid a heatwave, the contestants exited the tent for some fresh air only to look back just as Ruby’s two tier creation succumbed to gravity, toppling onto her worktop.