Whitby's David Atherton makes it to the final of the Great British Bake Off

A man who grew up in Whitby will appear on TV fighting to become this year's winner of the Great British Bake Off.

David Atherton, an international health adviser who now lives in London, has been one of the 13 contestants competing in the Channel 4 programme's tenth series.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He goes through to next week's final along with last night's star baker Alice, and Steph.

David Atherton. Credit: Love Productions.David Atherton. Credit: Love Productions.
David Atherton. Credit: Love Productions.

David was first inspired to bake by his mum Julie, who still lives in Whitby with his dad Richard and was an avid baker when David was growing up.

His interest in baking - he has watched the show since it began - grew after a work trip to Malawi, where he learned to build an oven out of an oil drum and invented a cake that could steam over a village fire.

He made a Whitby-inspired fish pie during pastry week.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Fellow contestant Rosie said she was "gutted" to go out before the final last night, but was proud to get as far as she did.

Mark Bourdillon/ Channel 4 imagesMark Bourdillon/ Channel 4 images
Mark Bourdillon/ Channel 4 images

She will now enjoy spending more time with her husband.

"I love spending time with my husband and family, but I hardly saw him during Bake Off unless he was cleaning up the kitchen," she said.

"He has been an incredible support - he would go to a 24-hour supermarket shop at 2am to get eggs that I had run out of. I had to practise at night because I was working all day."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Contestants struggled with the intricacies of patisserie week, creating domed tartlets for the signature challenge.

In the technical challenge, Rosie had problems with the pastry for her St Honore gateau, and tried several times to "remake everything". However, she managed to complete the task and come first.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Alice was afraid she would be knocked out after coming last in the technical, despite being named a "steady dark horse" by judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith.

But she impressed with her "glass case" showstopper, and was ultimately named star baker to secure her place in the final.

Hollywood said: "We have got three very talented bakers in there. If they all bring their A-game to next week's final, it will be one of the best finals we have ever had."

The GBBO final will air at 8pm on Channel 4 on Tuesday October 29.