Great British Bake Off viewers witnessed chaotic scenes during Tuesday night’s episode as host Alison Hammond took a dramatic tumble from a worktop in the tent.
The incident occurred during the technical challenge of ’70s week, as contestants were focused on creating their banoffee pies.
The 49-year-old presenter attempted to lift spirits by declaring: “I’m just going to add a little bit of happiness in here,” before hopping onto an empty worktop.
However, her spontaneous attempt at entertainment quickly went awry when she lost her balance while trying to perform a leg lift, resulting in a spectacular backwards fall.
Lying face-down on the floor, Hammond called out: “Don’t come over here! Leave me, leave me, my shame.”
Co-host Noel Fielding rushed to her side, declaring it was “the best thing I’ve ever seen ever” before playfully lying on top of her.
After eventually getting back to her feet, Hammond attempted to make sense of the mishap, muttering: “I missed my footing. What did I do wrong? What did I do?”
Still embarrassed by the incident, she concluded: “Oh forget it! I’ll do it tomorrow,” before walking off camera.
The commotion caused several bakers to pause their work and look over in shock at the scene unfolding before them.
Menswear designer Christian was seen gasping and turning around at the sound of Hammond’s fall.
Alison Hammond took a tumble during Tuesday night’s Bake Off
CHANNEL 4
Midwife Illiyin simply remarked “Wow!” at the spectacle.
Nurse Georgie acknowledged the incident by exclaiming: “She fell off,” but remained focused on her baking task, continuing with her work despite the disruption.
The moment sparked flooded of amused reactions from fans online, with the Instagram account of the show bombarded with compliments for Hammond as host.
“This was the greatest piece of telly of 2024,” one Instagram user said before a second weighed in: “If Alison isn’t back next year I will riot.”
“That was so funny! Alison is really a breath of fresh air to the show,” a third added before a fourth commented: “Y’all do everything you can to keep Alison as a host. Her and Noel are perfection.
The moment provided a brief moment of levity during what was otherwise an intense technical challenge in the tent.
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Alison Hammond joined the Bake Off cast last year
Channel 4
The episode concluded with midwife Illiyin being eliminated from the competition after her showstopper creation collapsed in the fridge.
Her champagne and peach gateau had been persistently lopsided during assembly in the hot tent before completely falling apart.
Despite the structural issues, judge Prue Leith praised the flavours, saying: “It tastes like heaven, and the acidity of the peach is perfect. That’s a celebration of the tinned peach.”
Paul Hollywood added: “Structurally, it’s a real shame.”
Nurse Georgie was named Star Baker for the second time this series, securing her place in the semi-finals alongside Dylan, Gill and Christian.