The Top 12 Most Controversial Moments on The Great British Baking Show

“The Great British Baking Show” is a land of rolling hills, photogenic squirrels, towering tiered cakes, and amicable, joyful British contestants with quirky accents. Or at least, that’s the image it tried to present to the world for 15 seasons and counting. But behind the glistening facade, “GBBS” as it’s fondly known by its fans, hides a few controversies. Some are cute and some are funny, but others call into question the show’s warm and fuzzy facade.

As an avid Canadian viewer of what is arguably one of the best cooking shows on Netflix, I have gone to great lengths to watch every episode of “The Great British Bake Off” (what it’s called across the pond) as soon as it came out. I have installed VPNs, binged during European trips, and followed all the stars closely on Instagram. I’ve even participated in GBBS baking clubs online, offering my own spin on the show’s recipes and themes on my food blog.

But over the years, I’ve found myself drawn to the controversies behind our favorite contestants and judges — and some of our least favorites. Just like a good layer of fondant, GBBS and its producers have gone to great lengths to cover their creation’s less-than-perfect interior, but the flaws have been revealed over time. From technical mishaps and behind-the-scenes drama to juicy conflicts and cultural insensitivities, these are the 12 greatest controversies on “The Great British Baking Show.”

If there’s one controversy that defines “The Great British Bake Off,” it’s the infamous “Bingate” incident of 2014. During the show’s fifth season, contestant Iain Watters faced what every baker dreads: a dessert disaster. But what happened next would become the stuff of GBBS legend, sparking a social media storm that had British viewers choosing sides faster than you can say “soggy bottom.”

The drama unfolded during ‘Ice Cream Cake Week,’ when Watters discovered his Baked Alaska had been removed from the freezer, allegedly by fellow contestant Diana Beard. With his ice cream reduced to a melting mess in the summer heat, an enraged Watters threw his entire creation in the bin and stormed out of the tent. When asked to present his work to the judges, he simply brought the bin to their table — a moment that host Sue Perkins described on the “Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster” podcast as him having “really lost it.”

The incident triggered such an intense viewer reaction that Beard, who maintained it was an innocent mistake and that the dessert had only been out for 40 seconds, ended up leaving the show in the next episode, though she has said it was due to an unrelated injury. The controversy became so heated that the BBC had to issue a statement explaining the sequence of events, and even years later, “Bingate” remains the benchmark against which all other GBBS dramas are measured.

In what could only happen on GBBS, one of the show’s most memorable controversies centered around a misplaced bowl of custard. During the 2013 season, contestant Howard Middleton became the victim of what fans dubbed “Custardgate” when fellow baker Deborah Manger accidentally used his custard for her own trifle.

The mix-up occurred during a stressful trifle challenge, where contestants had to create the perfect layered dessert. In the chaos of the tent, Manger mistakenly grabbed Middleton’s superior custard from the fridge — not the freezer — leaving him with her version. The switch was only discovered after both bakes were completed, leading to an awkwardly British moment of politeness where Middleton, ever the gentleman, tried to make light of the situation despite his obvious disappointment.

The incident, while seemingly minor compared to other GBBS scandals, actually managed to present the genteel side of the contestants, encapsulating what makes the show special. Instead of the dramatic confrontations typical of reality TV, viewers were treated to profuse apologies from Manger and gracious acceptance from Middleton. The moment became so iconic that it’s now referenced whenever contestants accidentally use each other’s ingredients, proving that even in the sweet world of GBBS, custard theft is no trifling matter.

In what became known as “Knockgate” during the 2020 season, viewers witnessed one of the most physically painful moments in GBBS history. As contestants were presenting their technical challenge pineapple upside-down cakes, Sura Selvarajah knocked fellow baker Dave Atherton’s creation to the floor while swatting away a fly, reducing his carefully crafted dessert to a heap on the tent floor.

The moment was pure GBBS chaos: Atherton’s cakes scattered across the ground, while Selvarajah immediately burst into tears of remorse. The incident sparked immediate social media speculation about whether it was truly an accident or calculated sabotage, though Atherton’s gracious reaction — and Selvarajah’s genuine distress — quickly put those rumors to rest. In true British fashion, both contestants handled the situation with remarkable composure, with Atherton salvaging what he could of his creation to present to the judges. Despite the drama, the mishap resulted in sincere apologies, understanding nods, and Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, who can be quite critical of baked goods, doing their best to fairly judge what remained of Atherton’s cake. Neither contestant was sent home that week.

In a show that prides itself on handmade creations and from-scratch baking, contestant Enwezor Nzegwu committed what many considered the cardinal sin of GBBS in 2014: he used store-bought fondant for his 3D biscuit scene. The controversy might seem minor to casual viewers, but in the meticulous world of GBBS, where even the simplest shortcuts are frowned upon, it was nothing short of a scandalous move.

Judges Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry, who many consider the British cake goddess, were notably unimpressed with Nzegwu’s decision to use ready-made fondant, viewing it as a betrayal of the show’s core values. The audience agreed, and the mishap became a trending topic on social media. The judges’ disappointment, combined with some technical issues in his bake, led to Nzegwu’s elimination that week. The incident served as a warning to future contestants: on GBBS, there are no shortcuts to success.

Be forewarned: to non-British viewers, it might seem absurd that one of GBBS’ biggest controversies centered around the proper way to eat a cake that no one outside the UK has ever tasted, but, there you have it. But in 2016, when legendary British baker and judge Paul Hollywood dunked beloved British treat the Jaffa Cake into his tea during a technical challenge, he committed what many UK viewers considered an unforgivable culinary sin.

For the uninitiated, a Jaffa Cake is a distinctive British snack consisting of a small sponge base topped with orange jelly and coated in chocolate. The great debate wasn’t just about Hollywood’s dunking technique, it was part of a larger, very British argument about whether Jaffa Cakes are actually cakes or biscuits.

While this might seem trivial to international audiences, it’s a question that once went all the way to court in the UK for tax purposes, at the end of which they were officially declared cakes. Hollywood’s casual dunking, traditionally reserved for biscuits, reignited this passionate debate and had British viewers taking to social media in outrage, proving that sometimes the biggest GBBS dramas are uniquely cultural.

In what might be the cutest controversy of all, GBBS found itself at the center of an unexpected scandal in 2011 thanks to a rather well-endowed squirrel. The show had always been known for its picturesque countryside shots, including the occasional appearance of local wildlife. However, one particularly anatomically blessed male squirrel caught viewers’ attention during the season finale, becoming an overnight sensation.

The “sexy squirrel,” as amused fans and media outlets dubbed it, appeared in several lingering shots that left little to the imagination. The footage caused such a stir that producers quietly retired the rodent from future episodes, replacing it with a more family-friendly female squirrel. And of course, people were outraged about the squirrel’s disappearance. The original footage has since become part of GBBS folklore, proving that even in a show about baking in a tent, sometimes the most memorable moments happen outside of it.

If cooking horror shows were a genre, then the 2012 season episode of GBBS in which contestant John Whaite had a particularly nasty run-in with a food processor would fit the bill. While attempting to make strudel during the quarter-finals, Whaite accidentally sliced his finger, leading to what host Sue Perkins dramatically dubbed “The Great British Finger Bloodbath.”

The incident sent Whaite to receive medical attention, leaving his bake unfinished and viewers squirming in their seats. In true GBBS fashion, though, he returned to the tent with his finger bandaged and somehow managed to complete his strudel, albeit with one hand and significantly less dignity.

The show’s producers, ever mindful of their family audience, tastefully avoided showing too much gore, but the incident lives on as one of the most memorable (and painful) moments in GBBS history. Whaite went on to win the season, proving that sometimes you have to bleed for your art — or at least your pastry.

The 2013 season of GBBS stirred up an uncomfortable controversy when viewers and media outlets began suggesting that judge Paul Hollywood was showing favoritism toward 21-year-old finalist Ruby Tandoh based on her looks. The accusations became so widespread that Hollywood was forced to defend himself on “Radio Times,” a British weekly listings magazine. He rather ungracefully stated that he thought another contestant, Kimberley, was “far prettier.”

Tandoh, who later came out as gay and became a vocal critic of the show’s culture, responded to the controversy with characteristic directness, calling out the “misogynistic conspiracy theories” about her relationship with Hollywood. The incident sparked important conversations about how female contestants are judged both in and out of the tent, proving that even GBBS isn’t immune to broader social issues. It also opened a series of darker moments for GBBS, when audience attention began being drawn to the show’s judges and their less-than-savory opinions.

The most seismic shift in GBBS history occurred in 2016 when Love Productions, the show’s maker, announced its move from BBC to Channel 4 for a reported £75 million (approximately $78 million). The announcement sparked what fans dubbed “the great exodus,” as beloved hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, along with judge Mary Berry, refused to follow the show to its new home. Only Paul Hollywood chose to stay, a decision that would strain long-standing friendships.

The fallout was immediate and bitter. Hollywood rather controversially claimed that the female hosts had abandoned the show, while Perkins later revealed the move created a painful rift with her former co-star. What had started as a simple business decision exposed deeper fractures within the GBBS family, fundamentally changing the show’s dynamic. While GBBS would continue with new hosts and judges, many fans consider this moment the end of the show’s golden age, when commercial interests finally overtook the program’s homey charm.

Now that people were onto the fact that GBBS hosts are only humans, the floodgates were open to criticism. In what might be the most modern of GBBS controversies, in 2017 new judge Prue Leith committed the ultimate digital faux pas when she accidentally tweeted congratulations to the season’s winner … 12 hours before the finale aired.

The tweet, which was quickly deleted but not before being screen-captured by thousands of fans, was blamed on Leith being in Bhutan and getting confused about time zones. The incident sent the show’s publicists into damage control mode and left fans scrambling to avoid spoilers. Leith was mortified, tweeting multiple apologies and later calling it “the worst moment” of her life.

The gaffe highlighted the challenges of keeping television secrets in the social media age, particularly for a show as beloved as GBBS. While the mistake didn’t ultimately damage the show’s reputation, it did teach future judges a valuable lesson: when in doubt, stay off Twitter until after the finale airs.

What started as occasional tone-deaf comments about exotic ingredients slowly simmered into a larger controversy about GBBS’ handling of cultural diversity. The show’s treatment of non-British cuisines often reflected an uncomfortable colonial mindset, from Paul Hollywood’s dismissal of non-European baking traditions to the complete mislabelling of Jewish baked goods when challah was described as a Passover bread. 

The controversy reached its boiling point during the infamous “Mexican Week” in 2022, which became a Masterclass in cultural insensitivity. Hosts wore sombreros, made offensive jokes, and reduced Mexican cuisine to tacos and bean-related puns. 

The episode sparked international backlash, with critics pointing out how it exemplified the show’s broader problem with cultural representation. The controversy forced viewers to confront an uncomfortable truth: their cozy baking show had a distinctly imperial attitude toward non-British cultures. This led to calls for more diverse judges and contestants and a more respectful approach to global culinary traditions.

In the wake of the Mexican Week controversy and growing criticism about cultural insensitivity, host Matt Lucas announced his departure from GBBS in December 2022. While Lucas cited scheduling conflicts, his exit followed criticism of his past use of blackface in comedy sketches and his participation in some of the show’s more controversial and culturally inappropriate moments. His replacement by Alison Hammond, a beloved Black British presenter, marked a significant shift in the show’s representation.

The change reflected GBBS’ attempts to evolve with the times, as the show has increasingly featured more diverse contestants and cultural perspectives in recent seasons. While some viewers defend the show’s progress, highlighting its celebration of different cultures and casting choices, others remain skeptical about whether these changes are merely cosmetic.

As GBBS continues to navigate these waters, it faces the challenge of maintaining its characteristic charm while becoming more culturally aware, proving that even the coziest of cooking shows must adapt to changing social expectations.