Great British Bake Off introduces audience choice week

The Great British Bake Off's 2026 series introduced its inaugural ‘Audience Choice’ week, where viewers submitted the challenges for the Signature, Technical, and Showstopper rounds. During the Signature challenge, bakers were tasked with creating an ‘exquisite baked cheesecake’ while working alongside a friend or relative.

In this episode, Paul Hollywood awarded his first ‘Hollywood Handshake’ of the competition. However, the week also resulted in the elimination of Shannon, a project planner from Gloucestershire, who became the second baker to leave the series. Clara was named the star baker for the week. The Showstopper challenge required contestants to create wearable bakes, including items such as a banana cake wig and a rum fruit carrot cake hat.