Self-styled drag king Jessika has become the fourth contestant to depart The Great British Bake Off, after failing to make the grade with the judges during a school-themed week.
The 32-year-old service designer from London was described by judge Dame Prue Leith as a risk-taker who had unfortunately gone too far this week.
On Tuesday night’s episode, the nine remaining bakers were tasked with making canteen favourite flapjacks before being tested with a school cake technical, with a catch.
In week four, they also had to create a spectacular school fete showstopper full of nostalgic treats.
After the three challenges were judged by Leith and Paul Hollywood, student Jasmine was named star baker while Jessika was told she would be leaving the Channel 4 show.
Leith said: “The thing I have loved about Jessika all the way through is that she is very creative and she takes risks every single week. And I think she took the risk too far this week.”
Jessika said: “This was going to be my last year to apply and I feel chuffed that I made it to the tent. I have met some incredibly talented, inspiring bakers, so it’s not all bad.”
She said she had had a lot of fun with hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond, and joked that she would love to wear Fielding’s clothes.
She added: “Maybe we could even come up with some kind of delightful coordinated drag duo?”
She also said she had enjoyed flirting with Hammond.
“I know she loves hard-boiled sweets, so I got her a giant hard-boiled diamond ring and asked her in Spanish if she’d marry me.
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“She was playing hard to get and, maybe out of kindness, said ‘yes’. I think Alison and I might technically be engaged now.”
Jessika said her best moment had been her week two showstopper, when she made a biscuit selfie, while her worst had been this week’s creation.
“Everything went wrong – my oven, my microwave, my cake, my biscuits, my meringue,” she said.
She said, “it wasn’t a surprise” that she was asked to leave.
“After that bake, I knew it was coming – it was a bit of a disaster from start to finish, and the judges’ reactions made it pretty clear,” she added.
Jessika, who was raised in Cornwall and enjoys rollerskating, cycling and performing as her drag king persona, said she “felt incredibly proud and chuffed to have been in the tent at all”.
She said her favourite challenge was her week one showstopper, which used apples from a tree owned by Betty, who was “such an important person in my life”.
“She loved that apple tree and would sit underneath it, even after losing most of her sight,” Jessika added.
“When Betty passed away, I collected some apples from her tree before I moved, and I used them in my showstopper as a way to celebrate her.
“She knew I’d applied for Bake Off and was so incredibly supportive. So, even though she’s not around to see me in the tent, I almost feel like I brought her along on my journey.”
Jessika will join hosts Jo Brand and Tom Allen on The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice on Friday, September 26, on Channel 4 at 8pm.
