Original subtitles

This time on The Great New Year Bake Off... The queen is in the kitchen!

..past titans of the tent... Selasi, you can do it.

..team up to tackle a trio...

Whoa! Sit down. You stress me out.

..of tricky challenges...

Don't...don't...don't move at all... Sorry. ..now, please.

..with a celebratory savoury Signature...

Don't make eye contact. No, don't make eye contact.

..a festive Technical with a twist...

Time to swap. Swap. OK.

Oh, sugar.

..and towering, Showstopping biscuit bakes.

This is very precarious.

What was this one?

Which team will claim the coveted New Year Crown?

I hope the rest of the year is less stressful. Yeah, I know!

And whose resolutions... That looks so bad.

..are going to need a little more work?

A load of balls in me mouth.

LAUGHTER Wouldn't be the first time. What?!

This is happening. 2026. Oh, my gosh!

Could there be a better way to bid farewell to 2025...

Let's do this, shall we? Let's do this, darling.

..than with eight baking besties... There you go. Thank you.

..gathering to form four delightful duos...

The colour of these! These are good. Very festive.

I'm stealing this.

..all ready to ring in the new year the only way they know how.

Happy New Year! Happy New Year! Yeah!

Exciting!

Spanning two separate series,

Tasha and Briony both combined a flair for flavour...

But it has a beautiful malted aftertaste in the mouth.

And I have to... Oh, good for you!

..with designs that delighted the judges.

This is pure Prue - port, venison, croquet!

We're both from Bristol. We're also both semifinalists.

We are. What's going to happen? We're going to be winners, Tasha.

That's what we're going to be. No more semifinalists for us. Eh?

No. No. Well...

Where's the butter? It's in me coat pocket. Oh.

Remind me to get the butter out.

Stars of series seven, Val and Selasi

were famed for their relaxed approach to their bakes.

So I'm going to chill out for a minute and sit down

and watch me Yorkshires rise.

You just have to take each day as it comes and then just bake

and produce whatever is required.

Over 100 years of experience between us.

Yeah, exactly. So we're confident.

Not quietly confident - loudly confident.

All right. Game face is on.

Also joining us are two of the tent's most recent graduates.

Can I hug you? No. Bye-bye!

For Nelly and Andy, baking in the tent was seldom serious.

Willy Wonka town, innit? People call me a Willy Wonka.

Do they?I think it was Wonka. NOEL LAUGHS

But their talents were still firmly recognised.

That Viennese is one of the best Vienneses I've had for a long time.

No way. Yeah, spectacular.

PRUE: I think you've done a really good job, Nelly.

We're hoping that.. We hope... Yeah, start a new year with a win,

with a bang and a cake stand.

But while all might have victory in their sights, one team...

Ready for the fight? ..comes with impressive credentials...

Getting there. ..the combined five Hollywood handshakes...

Giuseppe. ..four Star Bakers... Giuseppe.

CHEERING Rahul!

..and two Bake Off cake stands between them.

You did it! Congratulations!

Giuseppe and Rahul are the team to beat.

But we're here for fun. We're here to have a good day.

I mean, if we win, it's a cherry on the cake,

if you pardon the pun. Yeah, yeah.

Happy New Year, bakers, and welcome back to the tent.

It's so good to see you all.

And please welcome back our interpreter, Daryl.

Hello, Daryl. Hi, Daryl.

Now, pairs, I can't believe it, this is either going to be

the most adorable episode of Bake Off ever

or an absolute savage nightmare.

LAUGHTER

Now, for your first Bake Off festive challenge,

the judges would like you to make

at least 12 decoratively shaped savoury pies.

Now, your pies should be made with a hot-water-crust pastry

and, once baked, they should be formed into a lovely festive design.

You have 2.5 hours. On your marks. Get set.

Bake!

All right, let's go.

OK. Can I grab a bowl, Val? Yes, you can. I'll get these in order.

Took Alison less than 20 seconds to identify that Selasi was hot.

Selasi, my mate fancies you.

LAUGHTER

I keep looking to my left, I'm like, "Ah! I've a friend!"

What are you doing at my bench?

Don't Prue look lovely? Don't she? Yeah. With beautiful colours.

Paul looks well as well. But he always does

because he's like Judith Chalmers - he's always on holiday -

do you know what I mean?

Today's Signature Challenge, the bakers have to make a minimum

of 12 savoury pies made with a hot-water-crust pastry.

Paul's going to go, "Yes, that's the best pastry I've had.

"This is the guv'nor."

PAUL: It's about getting flavour.

It's about getting texture.

It's about getting the pie filled to the brim.

You don't want any holes when we cut into that pie.

Do you know, I've got 60 years of making pastry?

Surely it's more than a life sentence, that is.

What I want is just an absolutely delicious pie,

so obviously festive that they'll be doing it every New Year after.

This is a cheese dream, surely. Two titans.

I feel the pressure, though, I have to say.

So, boys, tell us about your bake.

So, the filling is spinach, pine nuts, olives

and a chunky strip of gorgonzola. Oh, wow.

ALISON: Aiming to lay down an early marker,

Giuseppe and Rahul's vegetarian pies

will be shaped and painted to resemble the plumage of a peacock.

They make quite a weird noise, don't they, peacocks? Yeah.

What is it like? Is it like a... GUTTURAL CALL

Probably, yeah, yeah. I thought it was more like...

HIGH–PITCHED CALL Yeah, that's true as well.

I think this was when they're angry. Yeah. And that was like...

HIGH–PITCHED CALL

This is, like, when they're calling mates and stuff.

Oh, when they're... Sexy times. Yeah. I did bet on it

that Noel is going to try to make the sound of a peacock.

LAUGHTER

While Rahul and Giuseppe are aiming to add to their past triumphs

in the tent, Nelly and Andy are hoping for a shot at redemption.

Yes, so I went out in Pastry Week, but I think he wanted me out early,

to be honest. Didn't want to give me a handshake.

Big hands, you see? He's like, "No, I'm not doing that."

In an effort to prove a point with his pastry,

Andy's pies will be filled with a rich venison

and topped with coloured mashed potato

to form the fireworks in a New Year's Eve sky.

Out of everybody, I would say best dressed over here.

This is Andy Bond and Nelly Penny.

Oh! Nelly Penny!

What can I be? Who could I be?

I'll be Jaws. With the teeth. No!

Bond needs a beautiful, you know, getting out... Excuse me?

Halle Berry! Yes! Halle Berry! Yes. Yes.

I'm out of the game now. I'm leaving.

I'm going to have to do one of those Bake Off things now.

Whether they're filled with a subtle spinach or a vibrant venison...

Look, beautiful bit of caramelisation on that.

..it's crucial the team-mates....

Look at that. Perfect. 49. Teamwork.

..rely on other's strengths to produce perfect pies.

So, I'm making the pastry, Giuseppe is with the filling.

Then we'll do all the shaping together.

The recipes just feel quite balanced.

Like, some's come from me, some's come from Tash.

But while most are working towards a single goal, Val and Selasi...

I've got to get my chicken one done now.

..are thinking a little bit bigger.

So, we're making two chicken pies.

Mine is less spicy and his is... Bringing the heat.

He's bringing on the heat.

Selasi's heat will come from a powerful combination of nduja

and gochujang spiced chicken,

while Val's filling hers with a more mild chicken and mushroom.

And the pair are also aiming to satisfy the vegetarians in the room

with a rich three cheese and onion.

How many are you making? 17 pieces. 17 pies. OK.

You've got all these pies. Have you timed it when you were making it?

Well, yes, we have. Yes, yeah, we have. We've timed to the clock.

And you managed it? Yes.

Anyway, we'd better leave you because you've got a lot to do.

You have. 17 pies to make. Good luck, guys.

Nice to see you back. Thank you very much.

Great to see you, too. Lovely to see you. Good luck.

Val and Selasi might be making enough pies to decorate a tree,

but Briony and Tasha...

Right? Are you happy with this? Look OK? Beautiful. Fabulous.

..are fashioning something festive for the front door.

We're doing pies in the shape of leaves to make a wreath.

And then the wreath will actually hang like a wreath on a door.

Tasha and Briony's pies

will be packed with a Christmas stuffing,

spiced pork and apple filling, and encased in green

and red hot water crust pastry to form their festive wreath.

I got excited at first. I thought it was a funeral wreath.

I mean, it could be. It could be. Open to interpretation. Yeah.

Absolutely. You do you. How are you finding this?

It's kind of weird, but fun, right? Totally fun.

It seems like everyone's having a good time.

These guys are bringing me much joy.

They're on the verge of just it all blowing up.

They're like an old married couple.

You know, his wife told me, "He's all yours!"

I'm thinking, "Thank you very much!" Now I see why!

BIRD CALLS

Bakers, you are halfway through.

Andy, do we have a risk assessment for that?

We did have a risk assessment, yes. That looks very dangerous.

With pastry prepped... Look at my little one!

We definitely are little and large.

..and festive fillings at the ready...

Oh, that's good. Banging, innit? Don't need no more seasoning.

..savoury pie production...

Let's make some pies. ..can finally commence.

I want to get the pastry as thin as possible.

And I want also to fit the mould as closely as possible,

so the corners are as sharp as they can get.

We've got gochujang-nduja chicken in there.

These are spices that I use in cooking a lot.

Not traditionally Ghanaian, but it tastes great to me.

I don't know what it will taste like to everyone else.

But while picking the right flavour is important...

We've got a bit of mustard going in,

just, like, half a teaspoon sort of size.

..ensuring they're properly packed into the pies is crucial.

Making little recesses in the top of the pies for the mash to sit on,

so to make them look really good.

Hold a lot of filling.

You have to really press these down hard,

and if you don't fill them well,

they leave that gap.

Squish it down.

Don't make eye contact. Don't make eye contact.

With this Bond and Nelly Penny,

and we've got the mad scientist over there.

Did you see the pies? I'm not watching. Can you please go

and just, by mistake, just shuffle it down?

Wait. Do you know what we've got here? You owe me. You owe me.

Watch this. Watch this.

What? Why? Somebody's... What?

NELLY HUMS

NOEL LAUGHS

We didn't do it! Ah!

Oh, no! Medic! Insurance!

We got it on camera. Don't you dare!

Bakers, you have one hour left!

You need to go in the oven, Mister. Yeah. Going in, babe.

They go straight on. Boom!

Oh!

That's really... That's so much better than mine. That's amazing.

Not only do fillings and crusts have to be perfect...

There we go. Lovely.

..the bakers have to make sure

they allow enough time for festive decoration.

They have to bake for 30 minutes at least,

before we actually start the decoration,

so we are pretty tight on timing. What am I doing? What am I doing?

What do you think? Uh...a timer, yes.

But with three flavours to juggle...

Oh, there's one without a lid.

..Val and Selasi still haven't hit the heat.

OK, Val, we need to start baking ASAP. Yep.

We'll be cutting it really fine. Yes.

Let's see.

If I egg wash round, will you put the lids on? Yeah.

Val, Selasi, happy New Year! Happy New Year. How are you?

So, new year, new you, Selasi?

I don't really do... I don't really do resolutions.

No. I just carry on as... Me too. Yeah. Me too

because I don't stick to them.

Do you stick to resolutions? I don't make them.

No. I'm 76. I'm old enough now to think every year is a bonus.

LAUGHTER

Festive bakers, you have half an hour left.

Now we just need to bake.

Val, Selasi, how long does yours need to take?

Half an hour. Half an hour? You got half an hour left.

You've got half an hour.

We can do it. Find out. 30 minutes to go.

While Val and Selasi have finally found their way to the oven,

some of the other bakers... Whoa! ..are already coming out.

That's the berries. Ooh!

Disappointed they leaked, but the thing is,

you won't see the tops anyway. We're going to pipe mash on them.

I should stop doing that.

Ah! Hot! Briony?

Yes? Oh...that's fine. Yeah? Spray some glitter on it,

it'll be fine. We'll spray it. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

They look perfection to me.

Thank you. Yeah, we'll see. Yeah. They're like little eyeballs. Yeah.

While Val and Selasi wait and watch...

Have you turned the ovens up? I think we should turn it up.

..the rest of the bakers are thinking about

festive pastry decorations.

In, in, in. We need another timer. I don't know what I'm doing!

What I have in my hand is what's going to be a rocket.

So, we're going to fill it

and then we're going to pipe the colourful potato mash on top,

so it's going to look like a little rocket.

I'm making all the peacock feathers' decorations.

When it comes to decoration, Rahul, you're the master.

There we go.

Pretty!

Stop! This is a banger.

The peacock might have to stay a little longer.

What about those? Leave them. Leave them?

No need to panic at the moment, but we're good. Yeah.

Now going to assemble Prue and Paul Hollywood.

Paul's bottom is a little bit leaking.

LAUGHTER

He's got a leaky bum? Yeah, too much chilli jam.

Right, I'm just going to add some detail whilst they cool down.

This is what teamwork looks like. Oh, yeah.

Look at you two. Checking out the competition?

No, no.

You think that's too goldy? No, I love it.

I love it, it's beautiful.

Looking good.

Mash on the back. Yeah! Look at that!

Oh, my God, that looks so good!

You start arranging it. Yeah.

Didn't want to spend too much time on the design,

so we focused on the flavour, the pastry, delivering.

Rocket's on, looking really good.

Bakers, you have five minutes left.

Oh, Christ! Nell's thingy!

Ah!

It looks beautiful. Thank you.

ANDY: Shall we paint it? Paint it.

Tuck it in there. Where?

We need four now.

LAUGHTER

ANDY MUMBLES

OK, bakers, your time is up.

Yay! LAUGHTER

Yes! I need a sit down and a cup of tea.

Whoa! You are a pastry queen.

Gentle steps. Yeah, yeah, we got it.

Show off! Oh, come off!

Look at your peacock.

Oh, my God, look at this.

It's art. It's art.

The New Year's bakers' festive pies

now face the judgment of Paul and Prue.

Hello! Hi. Hello.

This is beautiful. I don't want to spoil it now. Oh, I will.

LAUGHTER

We know. Of course you will.

Nice filling. Sausage meats, bacon,

cranberry stuffing in a pie.

I love the flavour.

I think the spiciness that comes from the meat

and the fruit in there lifts it. Oh, you've got it all over your mouth.

You've got green on your lip. LAUGHTER

It's like a scene out of Wicked.

LAUGHTER

I think you've done a great job. I think it tastes good.

It's very simple, but it's highly effective.

Ticks all the boxes.

Thank you very much. Thanks very much. Thank you.

I think the display looks amazing.

It's very impressive. I love the bake. And I actually love

the neatness of these pies. The pastry looks absolutely lovely.

It doesn't look too thick and it's a beautiful colour.

Thank you. That filling looks great.

The flavour is delicious. I think the venison is slightly overcooked.

Really? Having said that,

the gravy that you've got in there, with the sauce, is delicious

all together with the pastry.

I don't think the venison's overcooked. Certainly well cooked,

but it's not... I don't think it's too much. Well done, guys.

I think it's really lovely. Thanks very much.

We got this! We got this! Ooh!

I think it looks beautiful. The filling is gorgonzola with olives...

Spinach is the main one. Spinach is the main one. Right, OK.

Wow, that's super thin.

ALISON: Wow.

I really like it.

I don't think it looks fantastic,

but I think that's because spinach never does

if it's just out of the pan.

Personally, I think it's a triumph.

The olives bring that meatiness to it, anyway,

blended with the spinach. Happy with that. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, guys. Thank you. Yeah.

OK. Yeah. That's good, yeah.

Love that design.

It's very pretty.

Well, let's have a look at the...

Vegetarian?

Nice punchy cheese.

It's lovely. I want to try the chicken and mushroom.

Yeah, you've got an issue with this one with the filling.

Because you've lost...

You've got a big pocket there, where there's nothing.

Mm.

That's delicious.

Just needed more filling in there. Good, Selasi.

Oh, that's a good filling. Wow. Look at that.

That's packed out, isn't it?

It's absolutely delicious. Wow. Mmm.

Just the right level of spice.

Pastry's perfect. Pastry's nice and crispy.

I think your flavours in all three are excellent.

Just the filling.

And I'll look at you for this, Val. LAUGHTER

The filling on this needed more, but I did like yours, Selasi.

Well done. Well done. So, I'll give you that.

Yes! Yay! Well done, guys.

Yeah!

It went very well. We delivered on flavour.

We delivered on good quality pastry. And you got a handshake,

don't forget. Oh, yeah, I did, didn't I?

VAL LAUGHS

That went so well!

And I think it's a fair comment. It was kind of a simple-ish design,

but it worked. But it looked good. Simple but effective.

Maybe that should be our team name.

Yeah. So, the Technical's next.

And there's no pressure because we're useless at the Technical,

so... There's no pressure. ..there's no pressure.

I'm dreading it's going to be a challenge with gelatine leaves in it

that we need to set on time,

like a...layered cake.

Oh, God.

The bakers were able to practise their savoury pies,

but for the next New Year's challenge,

they have no idea what lays beneath the gingham cloth.

Hello, bakers. Welcome back to the tent.

It's time for your Technical Challenge.

And today, your Technical Challenge has been set for you

by old Father Time himself, Mr Paul Hollywood.

So, Paul, have you got any words of advice for our lovely bakers?

It's all about the settings. Get the settings right and you'll be fine.

If you don't, you're in trouble.

As ever, the Technical Challenge will be judged blind,

so we're going to have to ask this delicious pair to leave the tent.

Bye, guys.

Now, for your Technical Challenge today,

Paul would like you to make six New Year's-themed

chocolate and hazelnut entremets.

Now, your entremets should consist of a hazelnut joconde.

And be topped with a white chocolate bavarois.

And a chocolate and hazelnut praline mousse.

The whole thing should be encased in a chocolate mirror glaze

and finished off with a white chocolate clock face.

You have 2 hours and 45 minutes.

But there's a little catch.

Now, the judges have decided

that you've been baking so well together,

for this challenge,

you'll be baking one at a time.

And every 15 minutes you will change over.

That's right, folks. Get ready to relay.

Half of you, on your marks. Half of you, get set.

Half of you, bake!

Every 15 minutes, we have to swap? This is going to be disaster!

Come on, you've got this.

Selasi's going first because I take longer to read,

so I've got to read ahead to know what I'm going to be doing.

I can't touch that.

LAUGHS: This is really hard!

When I know what I'm doing... I don't even know what that means,

what I'm doing. Basically, it's a custard-ish,

a sponge-ish and a mousse-ish.

Do you know what I mean? Like, let's all stop being a bit fancy.

This is quite an elegant entremet. So, this has got a bavarois,

it's got a mousse, it's got a sponge in there,

it's got tempered chocolate, and it's obviously got a mirror glaze.

That is complicated. Where are the danger points in this?

Taking on this challenge is a danger.

I think, ultimately, texture.

There's hazelnut praline in almost every element in this entremet,

including the mousse as well,

so you don't want that grittiness coming from that.

You'll get the flavour, but not the texture.

Right, Prue, do you want to try one of these beautiful entremets?

Look at that. That's perfect.

You have that gorgeous layer of joconde sponge.

You have the bavarois mousse, the mirror glaze,

and that tempered chocolate sitting on the top.

Ah, it's lovely!

Paul, that is complicated enough.

And you're making the bakers do it as a kind of relay.

We could, actually, be walking in with all the teams breaking down,

relationships totally destroyed,

and there'll be entremet all over the floor.

They're such a nice bunch of guys, it won't happen.

We'll see.

Number one says, "Make a white chocolate bavarois."

Heat up the milk, whip the egg yolks and caster sugar.

Mix it all up. Yeah.

So, what I'm doing here is a creme anglaise,

which is the base of the bavarois, really.

And then we'll melt the white chocolate in

when that's done.

I can't help you, I'm sorry. That's fine.

This must be so frustrating for you, Rahul!

I'm feeling like, "Argh!"

That's 15 minutes. It's time to swap.

Swap. OK.

Switch. Switch. You're getting almost there. It's at 70-something.

OK, I'll do that, then. Switch. Oh, OK. Switch. Oh, sugar.

Talk to me, darling. How much?

OK. Oh, yeah, sorry. So, carry on, carry on.

You need a bigger bowl. Yeah, I do.

Going to need a bigger bowl. Round there. Yeah.

What if she never comes back? Yeah, you can take over.

I've never baked before. It'll be...like Val's never left.

LAUGHTER I'm joking.

She's got the wisdom.

Oh, we mustn't forget the hazelnut liqueur. Dribble, dribble.

These are going in the freezer. Wallop! Bye-bye. Bye-bye, darling.

Bakers, that's another 15 minutes. You have to switch again.

Number two helpfully says, "Make the joconde,"

which we love.

What is courgette? Joconde. Joconde. It's a biscuit sponge.

He'll be very good at it cos he's Italian.

It's very common in Italian baking. That's why I've...

I know the method quite well.

And this is one that doesn't use any...

It's a sponge that doesn't use any chemical leavening agent,

so you need to whip it.

Perfect.

We want peaks because it's going to give all the air to that.

Sorry! Giuseppe's moving in another timeframe.

He's, like, five times faster than us.

Right, the oven's on 210. All right, Chef.

Right. OK, in, in. Timer.

I would say check it in ten minutes.

Yeah. Because it's small and thin.

Bakers, that is 15 minutes. Switch it up.

All right, babs?

Guys, you've got to switch clothes as well, apparently.

Rahul, you've got to wear Giuseppe's pants.

You've got to switch clothes. That wouldn't fit me.

Nelly, I want to see you in Andy's trousers.

She's always wearing my trousers. ANDY LAUGHS

Right, OK.

While sponges bake... Right, what am I doing? Um...

..attention turns to mousse.

So I'm going to the chocolate ganache.

And that's what's going to become the chocolate praline mousse.

So, basically, you heat up 200ml of double cream

and then pour it over the dark chocolate.

But hazelnut praline mousse needs a hazelnut praline.

50g of blanched hazelnuts, toasted.

So, yes, we need to make a caramel as well.

Yep, yep, it's getting there. No, it's perfect.

Put the nuts in? Mix it, mix it in.

And while it's important the bakers ensure hazelnut is the hero

in this mousse, it's crucial the texture remains silky smooth.

Do we want it a paste?

Well, yeah, we want it, like, super smooth, I think.

This mousse should not be grainy,

and hazelnut will make it grainy if you don't grind it properly.

Don't want to go too mad cos it'll release all the oil from that,

so that'll do. I don't know. I feel like I should have whisked it

slightly longer, maybe, do you think? No.

Are you sure? Yes, 100%.

Oh, it's fine. Come on, it's perfect.

Looks good, Nells. Looks good. Oh, that smells so good.

I don't know. What's the next step? Next step is something...

We've got to assemble. Oh, bloody hell.

Bakers, you are halfway through.

With sponges baked... Done. ..and bavarois and mousses

waiting in the wings... This looks good.

..construction can finally commence.

"To assemble, place a disc of joconde in the base of each mould."

Come on, Nelly, you've got this.

Look at that. It's perfect.

Delicate, darling. Delicate.

Sit down. You stress me out.

Centre.

Middle, middle, middle.

The bavarois is in.

And now I'm going to pipe the chocolate mousse.

I think there's got to be enough to go to the top.

I'm not covering too much, yeah?

Because otherwise it's going to be too much.

Oh, the queen is in the kitchen!

We got this, my love. You know what? We are professional.

How's it going? It's like sports day, isn't it? Bit of relay.

I can't do sports because I can't run.

I don't like running. Do you know what I mean? I hate running.

Everything is hurting because, when you run, what's happened?

Blimey! Can you concentrate on what you're doing here?

Bloody hell! Concentrate on what you're doing.

What's the matter with you? I know!

Imagine if you had done the whole series with each other.

Oh, my God, no! That relationship would have been finished.

We would have been out first week.

Bakers, you've got 30 minutes left.

Right, OK, in.

"Make the tempered white chocolate decorations

"using the clock faces provided."

Nells, is that a sticker?

I think what we do is we temper the chocolate,

and then we pour it over here and then cut it.

Here we go. Tempered chocolate.

And I would say spread the chocolate thinly.

You can see the clock. It won't cut, will it?

I don't know why you just didn't spread it all over.

Yeah, but you don't want it too thick, Nells.

That goes in the fridge.

Rahul, for me, the only bit that concerns me a little

is the mirror glaze.

How do we make mirror glaze? You make a chocolate glaze. Great.

So, make a chocolate mirror glaze. Easy.

Double cream, butter, sugar,

cocoa powder, gelatine.

Everything goes in a pan. Oh! It's fine, it's fine,

just keep going. It's going to be blitzed anyway, isn't it?

Squeeze your gelatine, squeeze all the water and put it here now.

It's good.

It's very shiny, so, you know, that's good. Be good. Be good to us.

ANDY: Get a nice gloss on it.

Hurry up. Chop, chop. All right, darling. All right, I'm going,

I'm going, I'm going.

How much do we have in total time?

Bakers, you have five minutes left.

How the heck are you going to get them out?

Oh, like that.

They're a little bit bumpy, but it is what it is.

Peel it. Yeah. Carefully. Very gently. Yeah.

I hate this part.

NELLY GASPS

OK, do one coat first. Oh, no, you have to keep going, otherwise...

Exactly. Otherwise it sets.

Gently, gently. Gently, gently.

SELASI: I need to warm the mirror glaze. It's set too much.

NELLY: It's too thick.

Don't worry about it.

That's beautiful. Babe, don't worry about it.

Right, just keep going. Keep going. You're doing great.

They can certainly get some more from the top.

You can smooth it with boiling hot water. Yeah, I will try.

Selasi, you can do it, you can do it!

OK. At least these have worked. You are brilliant.

BOTH GASP Take your time.

"Decorate the base with small edible golden balls."

LAUGHS: Oh, my God!

ANDY: Look at this, this is a professional job.

Selasi, Selasi!

Bakers, your time is up.

Please bring your entremets up to the table

and place them behind your photographs.

Which is the best side?

LAUGHTER

Look at this one. The Patisserie King is presenting it.

Look at that.

Can we please welcome back our lovely judges?

LAUGHTER

Prue and Paul are expecting six immaculate entremets,

made with a light hazelnut joconde,

white chocolate bavarois,

and a silky smooth hazelnut chocolate mousse,

all coated in a shimmering mirror glaze

and topped with a white chocolate disc.

Right. OK.

And, as always, they don't know whose bake is whose.

Let's start with this. The balls are everywhere.

You only wanted a little bit round the outside.

Let's have a look.

PAUL LAUGHS

Rather rubbery mirror glaze, isn't it?

Yeah, it is. Wow, OK. You have all the elements there.

It's gritty, the mousse and the praline.

The mirror glaze is a bit thick as well. Not the best.

Texture's a bit gluey.

OK. Moving on.

I like the height on this.

The mirror glaze was a bit cold when it went on.

Wouldn't coat properly.

OK. That looks good.

Mousse is all right. Mousse is delicious.

The joconde is nice and light.

Bavarois is not bad as well. Overall, it's not bad.

They've just had a problem with the mirror glaze.

OK, moving on.

Too many balls. Yeah, there's far too many. Like they've gone, "Oops!"

And then just dropped the whole pile of it down there.

What have you got in there?

A load of balls in me mouth. LAUGHTER

Wouldn't be the first time. What?!

Try the mousse.

Mousse is a little bit grainy.

Good flavour, though.

OK, moving on to the final one.

This looks quite neat, actually.

I think the mirror glaze looks very good.

Looks nice in there. Smooth.

Very strong chocolate, isn't it? Mm.

Very good. On the praline as well.

Sponge is all right. Mm. I think it's all very good.

The mousse and the bavarois are perfect.

Yeah. So, this'll be an interesting judging, actually.

The judges will now rank the bakers' entremets from worst to first.

Right, in fourth place, we have this one.

Nelly and Andy. Something went wrong with the mousse.

Not your best effort.

Sorry. Thank you, Prue.

Third spot, we have this one.

Tash. Briony.

The balls were all over the place.

Your depiction of that was actually quite accurate.

OK. It fell? Yeah. OK.

In second place is this one.

Who's that? Rahul and Giuseppe.

This is pretty good. It's got the height, a very good flavour.

But the mirror glaze went on too cold and so it's too rubbery.

Which makes first place...

..Val and Selasi. APPLAUSE

Well done.

Yeah, lovely. Well done.

VAL: We came first. You know why?

SELASI: Ah, yes.

She's got her lucky elephant.

We're second. I mean, I think we've got something to celebrate,

don't we? So positive.

We didn't come last!

That was always my goal - not to come last on the Technical.

Surprised coming fourth, though, cos I think that was quite tight.

But, yeah, we always know, Technicals are Technicals.

It's all down to the Showstopper.

Just one challenge remains before the judges decide

which pair can claim the coveted New Year Crown.

Happy New Year, everyone. Happy New Year, guys.

Or should we say besties? We are besties. We are besties.

I've really enjoyed seeing pairs together.

It's been such fun. Andy and Nelly have done OK.

I feel like they're here for just a jolly. Well, I think there's that.

The two naughty kids together, so it was never going to work.

You say that, I think Briony and Tash are like that as well.

They're, like, naughty. They are.

Would you say everyone's even-stevens

or is there someone definitely ahead?

For me, anyway, I think Selasi and Val have got their nose in front.

I think so. I did like their Signature bakes.

I loved the three flavours. And they won the Technical.

So, already, Rahul and Giuseppe would have been on the back foot.

I agree, and I think this is going to wind up Giuseppe and Rahul today.

Yes. So I think they're really going to go out with all guns blazing

to try and beat Selasi and Val, who are at the moment the ones to beat.

I think, all in all, all our bakers are pretty strong

and could turn the tables today, I think.

Can I ask you, what have you got for your New Year's resolutions?

I'm going to start dyeing my hair black.

Cos this is natural. Do you mean you dye your hair?

This is natural.No! LAUGHTER

Welcome back to the tent, baking pairs.

You have made it to the Showstopper challenge.

Now, for your Showstopper challenge, the judges would like you to make

a scene from your favourite Christmas movie out of biscuits.

OK, so you have four hours.

On your marks. Get set. Bake!

Happy New Year to you all. Happy New Year.

So much to do. Four hours was never going to be enough.

We were wildly over time when we practised this.

Is it enough time, four hours? No.

What would you do at home if you were doing this? Like, six?

24 hours. NOEL LAUGHS

Our New Year Showstopper challenge

is to make a biscuit scene

which represents their favourite Christmas film.

We were going to make Home Alone. Yes.

But then we didn't want to do the house.

Yeah, the house is quite hard.

I don't want to see just one gingerbread scene.

I want to see other things in there. Brandy snaps, tuiles, macarons.

And I think the decoration is going to be, I mean,

properly important in this.

We are going to be making the best out of Rahul's main talent,

which is biscuit decoration,

so I've got the best possible partner I could ask for.

Oh, please don't say that. You are going to regret it later.

PRUE: The thing with all of these sculptural challenges,

it's a trade off between stability and texture.

This is a really difficult challenge.

I hope the rest of the year is less stressful than this. Yeah, I know!

PAUL: This is the festive time

of year and I want to see something extremely special.

Good morning. Good morning. Good morning!

Right, tell us all about your Christmas film biscuit scene.

What are you doing? We're doing Mary Poppins.

It's not exactly a Christmas movie, but, you know, it's a tradition.

Everybody watches it. Exactly. Exactly. And in my head,

it's been connected to the festive season anyway. OK.

NOEL: Rahul and Giuseppe will make their Mary Poppins

from a citrus and cardamom sugar biscuit.

She will descend through a charcoal gingerbread skyline

to a classic gingerbread rendering of Cherry Tree Lane.

So, you've got charcoal biscuit, you've got some buttercream.

You're doing a... We've got some normal gingerbread as well.

Got normal gingerbread? Yeah. You're doing a shortbread.

Are you adding anything else other than biscuit?

Just buttercream and royal icing.

And a spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down.

Just to please Alison. Yeah.

LAUGHTER

Are we going to need some sugar to make this go down?

There's going to make plenty of sugar in this, don't worry.

All right, well, good luck, guys. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you.

Bye. Good luck.

NOEL: Giuseppe and Rahul might be hoping

the quaint cobbled streets and chimney stacks of Edwardian London

are enough to impress...

Four teaspoons.

..but Val and Selasi are heading to the heart of Manhattan.

Our biscuit Christmas scene is one of our favourites, surprisingly.

Elf, the movie. Elf? Yeah. So, we're making the Empire State Building.

The Empire... Wow, OK. How are you going to do this?

So, we have... Oh, wow. ..an entremet base.

So, that's the main building

and then we'll have a 57cm-high building.

Is that a mousse cake down at the bottom? Yes.

You couldn't have picked a lighter cake to carry the weight

of the Empire State Building.

Hoping to build on yesterday's successes,

Val and Selasi's towering gingerbread Empire State

will be accompanied by a chocolate and pear entremet, gingerbread elf,

and a sleigh packed with orange and ginger truffles.

You had a really good Signature, right? Yes.

And you won the Technical. Yeah.

You are in pole position, you guys. Wow.

Are you enjoying doing it as pairs or would you rather be lone wolves?

No. No, it's good as pairs, it's good. It's great. It's great.

It really is. But, no, we don't want to introduce anyone else

into the gang, right? No, no, no. Three would be chaos, wouldn't it?

NOEL LAUGHS

For the team's festive film biscuit builds to succeed,

they'll need to choose the right dough for the job.

What you want is a structurally strong biscuit

that's going to taste great. And a double dunker.

Gingerbread is literally perfect. It tastes lovely,

but it's quite sturdy, cos you want it to hold up.

So, that means producing gingerbread on an industrial scale.

I don't think there is a domestic mixer large enough for all this.

And while Val and Selasi are hoping to claim the title

of tent's tallest bake... Don't you think we're being very ambitious?

..Briony and Tasha reckon they've got one record...

Look at all this. This is going to be absolutely huge. Yeah.

..already in the bag.

I think, actually, that we've asked for the most amount of flour

ever asked for on Bake Off.

I'm impressed. It's a lot. And what is the scene?

We are doing a scene inspired by The Grinch.

So, we're doing the town with the mountain behind,

an ice rink with skaters that will move.

And the little people or the...?

The little people will be little gingerbread people. They may

or may not look like you two, depending on how much time we have.

LAUGHTER

ALISON: Nestled in the shadow

of Tasha's almond and orange

biscotti mountain,

the colourful houses

of Briony's gingerbread Whoville

will be complete with isomalt

ice rink and gingerbread skaters.

You're doing The Grinch, right? We are doing The Grinch.

And by The Grinch, you mean Paul Hollywood? Yeah, obviously.

I can't remember what he looks like. He's green. Hairy and green.

Like, hairy and green. Like, long fingers and a big belly

and long legs. Blue eyes. Blue eyes. Stonewashed jeans.

LAUGHTER

He is The Grinch, isn't he? Yeah, he is, yeah.

If the teams are to successfully build scenes

that can support their own weight...

I'm cutting part of the background.

This is supposed to be representing the rooftops of London.

..then every one of their precision engineered biscuits

must be baked to perfection.

Do you think that feels all right?

Or do you think it needs a bit longer?

Longer. Longer, yeah.

But while most will be constructing static scenes

from an array of flat-pack pieces,

Andy and Nelly are going interactive.

We are making the Polar Express.

But not only that, the train will be remote controlled.

Andy's remote-controlled gingerbread

and brandy snap Polar Express

will sit alongside a towering pecan biscuit Christmas tree

in a meringue field filled with macaron snowmen

and raspberry shortbread lollipops.

So, hopefully, it's going to be... We want to make it fun.

It isn't going to be perfect, but who's perfect?

It will be perfect. You've come up with some amazing things in the tent

before. You're both very good at baking.

You're doing a lot of different things.

You know, the brandy snap, the ginger, you're doing shortbread,

you're doing macarons. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to this.

Good luck. Good luck, yeah. God help you as well

when you're going to ride it. LAUGHTER

While it's important the teams bake enough gingerbread jigsaw pieces

to construct their festive film scenes...

I'm making a sleigh...

..elf...

..and the base box to stand everything on.

Big responsibility.

..it's crucial they don't sacrifice quality...

Out, in. In, out. Don't stop! Never stop!

Always make the gingerbread!

..in pursuit of quantity.

Yeah, I'm making the biggest piece,

the pebbled street, right now.

In an ideal world, we would want to chill this.

Because if you don't chill it, it might not hold its shape well

when baking. The reality is

that I don't think we're going to have the time to do this.

And while gingerbread is a robust biscuit,

overworked, it can lose its signature snap.

This one went really dry, babe.

But while Andy's attention is entirely on the gingerbread

for their train, Nelly's sorting out the scenery.

So, I'm doing three things. I'm doing shortbread biscuit

with pecan nuts for the Christmas tree,

and I'm doing macaron snowmen, and I'm doing lollipops

from shortbread biscuits and a raspberry jam.

So, Andy's doing the train. That's his job.

And my job is to do the surrounding.

New Year's bakers, you are halfway through.

Time in this place! I know!

With time now the team's biggest hurdle,

the race is on to bake the last few biscuits

before construction can commence.

So, right now, I'm making the face of the mountain,

which is going to be chocolate orange and almond biscotti.

I'm making my mousse.

We also have a chocolate joconde sponge.

We have hazelnut ganache.

We have chocolate mousse.

What else do we have? Pear compote.

The trouble with macarons, you need to have time and patience.

Do I have time? Do I have patience?

Brandy snap, yeah.

This is Buddy. These are the fiddly bits, aren't they?

Oh, no, I've knocked his foot off.

Oh, no!

This is the brandy snap.

This is going to be that shape at the front of the train.

Be careful, Andy. Look. Thanks.

Oh. Sorry, gorgeous.

Just go away because you're going to burn me.

No, no, no, no. Just put it down. Put it down.

Oh!

Oh, no.

It's OK. Don't panic. It's all right. It's OK.

No, it is panic.

Bakers, you have one hour left.

Are you kidding me? Where does time go in here?

I don't know what you're doing. Yeah, it's all right.

Cut. While Andy strives to salvage

the Polar Express' brandy-snap boiler...

I can get this train back on track

cos, me and Nelly, we will do this. We will do our very best.

..for everyone else... Everything is baked and out of the oven.

..it's time to transform biscuits... Are you going to do the houses?

Yes, cos I can. OK, OK. Then I'm going to start decorating.

Yes, I think that's a very good idea.

..into festive movie magic.

I have a lot of pieces. I didn't count, but I think it's a lot.

What is this? This is the train. This is the choo-choo train.

Oh, this is the train. This is the front of the carriage.

These are the carriages. Front. Roof. Sides.

This looks great. Yeah, it's all right.

And it's really going to move? Yes. Well, I hope so.

OK, we're getting colourful now. This is good. This is good.

This is my favourite bit. I think this is the bit where you kind of

see it all come together and it feels good. Look at that.

I mean, he could be a surgeon. Really good.

A labour of love, this, you know, ain't it?

Do you like shimmer? I love a bit of shimmer, babes.

And then do you like a bit of hat? So, hold on a minute.

Are you actually making me part of this bake?

Yeah. Why not? Why not?

Alison Poppins! Alison Poppins!

Bakers, you have 30 minutes left.

Right. Um... I've just remembered about the biscotti mountain.

I need to get on that. Is the isomalt melting?

Yeah, it's melting, yeah.

Just stick it... Yeah? Stick it in and stick it.

The top is actually the hardest bit cos you want to get that point...

..which...

My hands are really shaky today.

Don't let your nerves get the better of you.

Yeah, I know.

Well, I'm doing now the lollipop.

So, this is shortbread

with raspberry jam.

They're sturdy. Like, they're solid. The good thing is

is cos it's a winter scene, we can cover a lot up with fondant.

Oh, don't do that to me.

Oh, that looks fantastic, babe. Well done.

That looks so bad.

Which bit belongs to which house?

What was this one?

This is very precarious.

Careful, careful, careful.

I am bent double cos... I don't know why.

Like, I could stand and do this, but this feels too relaxed,

so I've got to...really got to go down and I have to be stressed.

The Polar Express had a massive tube along it, didn't it?

I go Christmas tree. And the snowmen look good.

That was my thing. OK?

So, the rest is on Andy now.

Oh, Nells!

Oh, BLEEP.

We need the clouds done.

Clouds, I will pipe with one and some white buttercream.

Is there any white buttercream left?

What about if he's, like, bent in like that? No, cos that's textured.

That's fine. I think that's fine. That's quite funny.

This is really hard.

Five minutes left, bakers.

This is a joke, Nells. What's happened to us?

Just don't...don't move at all now, please. Sorry.

Get the marshmallow.

I'm getting the little decorations on. Like, the tree, the sledge,

that kind of thing. Exactly, yeah.

ANDY: Oh, no, that's broke, Nells.

GUISEPPE GASPS What did you do?This fell.

TASHA: Candy canes. We have, like, two minutes. I'm going to do one.

Bakers, you have one minute left.

Oh, it's exciting!

Oh, Nells, help us out with this one.

Don't complain, Rahul, this is not the right time.

That present's fallen out. As soon as we pick it up,

it's all going to bloody collapse, innit? It's OK.

Rahul, sorry.

Yeah, OK. We're good. It works.

Oh, my God, those trees are beautiful.

Not big one. You need to crumble it.

Yeah! No, don't worry.

I never made so much mess in the kitchen in my life.

NOEL AND ALISON: Five, four, three,

two, one.

Your time is up, bakers!

Well done, babe. Well done.

Oh! I'm sorry about him, but he's quite funny. He's very funny.

Mm-mm-mm!

This would look fantastic under a Christmas tree.

Or under a bus.

The bakers' festive movie biscuit scenes

now face the judgment of Paul and Prue.

Val and Selasi, it's time for your Showstopper.

I think the structure is fantastic.

I think it's probably the tallest biscuit design

that we've had in the tent.

My issue is you needed to do

three times as many windows as that all the way around.

This was before they completed the building.

LAUGHS: Right!

Let's try the gingerbread.

Nice, thin gingerbread. Mm.

Mmm.

It's delicious. Very good ginger.

Dying to see what the entremet is like inside.

Wow. That's quite impressive.

Is that pear as well, yeah? Yeah.

That is delicious. It really is.

The pear is an addition that you didn't think you needed.

It's such a nice blend.

I think that this is wonderful to look at. The baking is wonderful.

And the extras, like the entremet, are faultless.

Well done. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you.

It's a little bit clumsy.

But I think you have demonstrated a lot of different skills.

It's highly imaginative. But we need to eat it, really.

We have a little snowman. They are almond meringue

with chocolate ganache and raspberry jam.

Those little snowmen are delicious.

They're tasty. But let's have a look at the train.

The ginger spice level is good.

It's a little bit overworked. I wish you'd had more time on the train.

Go on, I'll let you take that away. Thank you.

LAUGHTER

It's a good train, actually.

Oh!

LAUGHTER

Come to Mama! Oh!

The overall effect, I think, is very nice.

I do love this mountain. It's clever.

Nice! Very good biscotti.

All I can hear from behind me is Giuseppe going, "Nice."

Sorry! No, it's great!

The nut and orange in there is just right. Very good.

It's delicious. It's got the right texture.

The other one is the ginger.

It's very nice. It's a bit chewy.

It's a bit thick. OK.

I know the temptation is to go thick cos it gives you the rigidity

that you need to build everything on,

but you didn't have to go that thick. And if you do,

you need to bake it a little bit more.

But overall, flavour-wise, it's fantas...

It's got a nice bit of hit of spice to that. Quite warm.

Biscotti, in particular. I love the mountain.

But the overall design is charming. Well done. Thanks very much.

Thank you. Thank you, Tasha. Thank you, Briony. Well done.

This is just such a wonderful demonstration of beautiful design

and decoration.

The actual cutting out is beautiful. Neat.

But what sets it off is the pipework on it.

That's the thing that makes this stand out. It's highly effective.

Is that wood? The back, yes. Yeah.

Right.

A little bit of a house.

It's a pity to break it, really.

Flavour-wise, I love.

Bake's not enough.

Oh. I'm getting a softness to that. They're a little thick.

Maybe you could have baked it a bit longer. Longer.

This is the... The pavement, yeah.

Is this more of a sugar biscuit? Yeah.

This is a much paler flavour.

But I am getting the zest coming through.

I like the bake on it. It's very crisp.

Overall, beautifully piped.

The bake on the houses, need a little bit longer,

but the base, the citrus and the ginger is very, very good.

Well done. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I think they liked the flavours,

but the biscuit was underbaked slightly.

You're missing one of the critical points, which... They did say

the decoration was stunning.

Eh. "Eh!"

It's funny, you definitely pick up on the negative...

You do. ..and it stays with you. I'm really proud of us. I am.

Whatever happens, I'm really proud of what we've done.

We are between winners,

finalists, semifinalists, Star Bakers. We are nobody.

Come on, girl! We did it! Girl? Boy. Boy. Come on, boy. We did it.

I think it's going to be a very, very close one. It will be.

Very, very close. It will be. But we'll see.

Each one of these Showstoppers

was like watching a movie. I mean, Nelly and Andy...

I thought everything was good, bar, weirdly, the train.

It was just a little bit scruffy.

Let's talk about Tasha and Briony.

My only quarrel with this,

it's ruined by too much fondant.

If we're looking for the best Showstopper,

for me, it's Giuseppe and Rahul.

Theirs looked like something you'd see in Harrods.

You didn't seem too happy with the fact that there was

a wooden board at the back. Why shouldn't it have been a biscuit?

I would give it to Val and Selasi

because that structure is so impressive.

I thought the bake was good. I loved the biscuit base that they made.

And then you have a beautiful mousse on the top of that. That was good.

Hold on, have we got a bit of a clash here?

This is New Year. This is New Year. We always quarrel at New Year.

We always have a little bit of a rumble.

Prue was necking the vodka, and I think this is where it started.

LAUGHTER

Well, we just want to say, don't we, Happy New Year?

Come on, let's go and kiss our grandparents.

LAUGHTER

What do you mean, kiss your grandparents?!

Get it off now. Oh, Grandad. We love you, Grandad.

LAUGHTER

What a start to the new year.

Bakers, you've been incredible.

Unfortunately, there can only be one winner. Well, two,

cos it's all about pairs.

And the winner of the New Year's Bake Off is...

..Val and Selasi.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Well done, Selasi. Thank you. Well done. Well done, Val.

Share it. No, no. You hold it. You did all the hard work.

Oh!

Well done, sweetheart. Fantastic.

This is great.

I thought they snatched it from us, you know, last minute, but...

Yeah, not much to say other than it's been great.

It's the third time in the tent and we've made it.

But it's teamwork.

That was really close.

Thank you. Next time.

So, it was very tight,

and I just don't think Giuseppe and Rahul did enough

in the Showstopper

to warrant the winning of the New Year Great British Bake Off.

I want to come back again with Giuseppe

and do something more spectacular, more neat. Oh, my God.

I might have to change my mobile number then. We'll see. We'll see.

I've absolutely loved the last couple of days.

It was terrific fun. But it's very cold.

It's New Year and I need a drink. Come on!

It's been a brilliant way to bring in 2026

and just hope everyone's enjoyed it as much as we have

because we've had such a fantastic time.

BOTH: Happy New Year!

That's the thing. We both have PhDs. You know that, right?

You are making us do this.

Happy New Year! Same.

It's been wonderful seeing all those bakers back in the tent.

And they were sort of celebrating friendship

as much as they were baking.

We've had a fantastic couple of days in the tent.

Great fun, great baking. I'd like to wish you all a very Happy New Year.

Yeah!

Happy New Year!

So good.

We've got a special episode planned for next year

and we want you to be a big part of it.

If you've got an idea for a challenge,

now's your time to share it. Head to...

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