"I was not able to continue for long"— The Great British Bake Off Jeff after withdrawal from the show

With the return of the beloved baking reality show, fans have already seen some unforgettable twists and turns in The Great British Bake Off. One such surprise was the departure of the show's first American contestant, Jeff, in the second episode of the latest season. Jeff withdrew from the competition due to illness, in the episode aired on October 1, 2024.

As soon as Jeff departed The Great British Bake Off, he penned a handwritten note, and the show's official X account posted its picture. He expressed that his experience on the show was "amazing and challenging," and an experience of a lifetime. Jeff also praised his cast members for their skill sets.

“Although I was not able to continue for long, I still had the pleasure of meeting all the incredible bakers from Series 15. What a wonderful group of people and they were also excellent bakers," wrote Jeff.

He further went on to compliment the production team for helping him out during the troubled times that saw him depart The Great British Bake Off.

"The production team are the nicest, most hard working people you will ever come across. They are so supportive and positive. All the very best,” concluded Jeff.

The amateur baker had also missed the first episode, however, the makers of the show decided not to eliminate anyone from the competition that early on. The new season is dubbed Collection 12 in the US, while it is called Series 15 in the UK.

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Hazel was also sent home with Jeff on The Great British Bake Off

Jeff wasn't the only one to depart the show in episode 2, as Hazel was eliminated after she took part in all the challenges presented to the bakers on The Great British Bake Off. This week's theme was Cake Week, and the bakers were instructed to bake a Viennese whirl during the Signature Bake. The oldest member of the season, Hazel, made 'Coffee & Hazelnut Viennese Biscuits.'

She performed well in the Technical Challenge and was ranked fifth out of 11 contestants, as Jeff had declared his departure by then. Despite putting her best efforts forward, judges didn't enjoy Hazel's Showstopper in The Great British Bake Off. She was eliminated from the show after making ‘Punch & Judy’ Biscuit Puppet Theatre.

The week was supposed to have double elimination, but due to Jeff's inability to cope with his illness, he filled that quota of the second elimination. After Hazel's elimination, she admitted that she did not do justice to her baked creations and although she did expect to get eliminated, she was still emotional about the ordeal.

“I did expect it. All my bakes have gone wrong. Maybe I won't bake puppet theatres anymore. I'm not crying, they're making me cry," stated Hazel.

The events of Jeff's illness and Hazel's elimination mean that only 10 players remain in the competition—Andy (car mechanic), Christian (menswear designer), Dylan (retail assistant), Georgie (pediatric nurse), Gill (senior category manager), Illiyin (birth trauma specialist midwife), John (directorate support manager), Mike (farm manager), Nelly (palliative care assistant), and Sumayah (dentistry student).

The release schedule for the show is different in America than in the UK, which airs the show on Channel 4, while in America, it is released three days later on Netflix.

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The Great British Bake Off features Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood as the long-running judges, who will taste each baked good and assign points to the bakers, helping to decide the winner. Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond are the hosts of the show, who return to their presenting duties from the previous year.