Great British Bake Off 2020 FINAL: Peter Sawkins, 20, is the WINNER

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Peter Sawkins was crowned the winner of the 2020 Great British Bake Off on Tuesday night as he became the show’s youngest ever champion.  

The accounting and finance student, 20, impressed judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith after going against Dave Friday and Laura Adlington in the tent.   

During Tuesday’s final (complete with a brief thunderstorm!), the three bakers had to make eight beautifully decorated custard slices as the signature bake, eight walnut whirls as the technical challenge and dessert towers as the showstopper.

Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, the contestants weren’t joined by their family and friends for the first time ever during a finale on the show. They were instead sent video messages.

Yet the tent wasn’t left empty as the cast and crew of Bake Off, which formed a bubble with the contestants, were on hand to give their support and taste their showstopper creations. 

The contestants formed a ‘biosphere’ with the cast and crew of Bake Off after quarantining for nine days, with everyone involved tested three times before filming started over the summer.  

After impressing the judges with his cranachan custard slices, walnut whirls and his ‘bonkers Bake Off [festive] bubble cake’, Peter was announced the winner. 

The Scottish student was left speechless over the announcement as he remarked: ‘No, I can’t believe that I am here…  

‘I can’t quite believe that I made it onto the show, that the show happened and this is going to be such a huge chapter of my life. What a way for it to end!’

Peter then excitedly phoned his family and friends to share the news as he proudly held the Bake Off winner glass cake stand.  

Talking about the baker’s win, judge Paul said: ‘How close was it with Dave and Peter? It came down to little bits like the crisp on a choux bun, it came down to flakes on a rough puff pastry, it was honestly that close. 

‘Peter should be exceptionally proud. He’s the youngest winner we’ve ever had, and the only Scottish winner we’ve ever had.’

While Prue sweetly added: ‘You know, I’m terribly proud of Peter. I think of him as if he’s my grandson or something, because he’s such a nice guy and he’s so eager to learn. You can’t not like him.’

Peter started baking when he was 12 and has watched the series since its inception in 2010. 

Talking about being on the show, let alone the final, at the start of the episode, Peter said: ‘I’ve always wanted to get here since I was 12 or 13!’  

And despite missing out on the champion title by tiny details, runner-ups Dave and Laura were nothing but supportive towards Peter’s win.

Dave, 30, said: ‘I gave Peter a good run for his money, but he really deserves it. I’m not disappointed at all, if someone told me from the beginning that I’d be a runner-up, I’d take that all day long.’

While Laura, 31, shared an emotional selfie in tears as she revealed she had marked Peter as the winner from day one.

She penned on Twitter after the finale aired: ‘I’m so emotional (surprise surprise). How beautiful was that ending!? I can’t believe it’s over. I feel so blessed & so incredibly proud of everyone who managed to make it happen. 

‘Huge congratulations Peter! Lottie and I clocked you as our winner from day one!!! #GBBOFinal #GBBO.’ 

Prior to the winning announcement, host Matt Lucas delivered an emotional speech as he thanked those for helping make Bake Off possible during the pandemic.

He said: ‘Congratulations on reaching the final, usually we are here with family but we are here with a different kind of family. The amazing bubble who came together to make this show, so a huge thank you to everyone who worked on it. 

‘The medics, the cleaning team and all the staff here who have looked after us’, Matt added that it has been the ‘hardest’ and ‘closest’ final ever. 

At the end of the episode, it offered an update into each of the contestants’ lives after filming the show over the summer. 

Bake Off revealed that winner Peter was now back at university while runner-up Dave had welcomed his first child, Ronnie, with his partner Stacey.   

At the end of the episode, the show shared an emotional tribute to former contestant Luis Troyano after he tragically passed away aged 48 following a private battle with oesophageal cancer earlier this month.     

The current series took place at Down Hall Hotel in Essex over the summer after five years of filming at Welford Park in Berkshire, with all cast and crew members undergoing regular COVID-19 testing in an isolation bubble amid the pandemic.    

Before entering the ‘biosphere’, the contestants had to quarantine for nine days with the 130 people involved with the show tested three times before filming.

Producers said they drew up a list of safety rules ‘longer than the Bible’ before filming started for the new socially-distanced series with Paul’s signature handshake given the green light despite fears of spreading the virus. 

The Great British Bake Off returns next year to Channel 4…